84 



BLACK B.AW1L.— {VARIETY.) 

 [Plate LIII.— Fig. 2.] 



Peale's Museum^ ^"o. 405. 



THIS is probably a younger bird of the preceding species, 

 being, tho a male, somewhat less than its companion. Both were 

 killed in the same meadow, at the same place and time. In form, 

 features and habitudes it exactly agreed with the former. 



This bird measures twenty inches in length, and in extent 

 four feet; the eyes, bill, cere, toes and claws, were as in the pre- 

 ceding; head above white, streaked with black and light brown; 

 along the eyebrows a black line; cheeks streaked like the head; 

 neck streaked with black and reddish brown, on a pale yellowish 

 white ground ; whole upper parts brown black, dashed with brown- 

 ish white and pale ferruginous; tail white for half its length, end- 

 ing in brown, marked with one or two bars of dusky and a large 

 bar of black, and tipt with dull white; wings as in the preceding, 

 their lining variegated with black, white and ferruginous; throat 

 and breast brownish yellow, dashed with black; belly beautifully 

 variegated with spots of white, black and pale ferruginous ; femo- 

 rals and feathered legs the same, but rather darker; vent plain 

 brownish white. 



The original color of these birds in their young state may 

 probably be pale brown, as the present individual seemed to be 

 changing to a darker color on the neck and sides of the head. 

 This change, from pale brown to black, is not greater than some 

 of the genus are actually known to undergo. One great advantage 

 of examining living, or newly killed specimens, is, that whatever 

 may be the difference of color between any two, the eye, counte- 

 nance and form of the head instantly betray the common family to 



