£86 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 
Description,-^- [No. 19,686, adult male, Fort Simpson, 30 Apr. I860.] The 
bill is small, short, stout, thick at the base, regularly conical, somewhat com- 
pressed, but not so much so as in A. Unarms , dusky throughout, except the 
cutting edges. The tip of the upper mandible slightly overhangs that of the 
lower. The culmen, gonys, and commissure from the angle are all about 
straight. The nasal plumuli are exceedingly full, dense and heavy, reaching 
about half way to the top of the bill. They are very much heavier than in 
linarius , and though absolutely shorter than in that species, they are compara- 
tively as long, owing to the smaller size of the bill. The front is dusky like 
the lores, and more broadly so than linarius , but the feathers are tipped with 
whitish, which gives the forehead a hoary appearance. There is an appreci- 
able light superciliary streak, more distinct than in linarius. The lores, and a 
gular spot are dusky. The crown is deep crimson, exactly as in linarius. The 
general color of the upper part is that of linarius ; but the dusky streaks are 
smaller, more numerous and indistinct, especially on the anterior portions of 
the back ; the yellowish is much lighter than in linarius, approaching to white. 
Towards the rump the yellowish tint disappears before the streaks do, leaving 
a space streaked with dusky and pure white. The rump is pure white, imma- 
culate, with a delicate light rosy tinge. The upper tail coverts have slightly 
dusky centres. The wings and tail are much as in linarius. The primaries 
are very narrowly edged and tipped with white, the edging becoming quite 
broad on the inner secondaries. The median and greater coverts are narrowly 
edged, and broadly tipped with white, forming two transverse bars. The 
second primary is longest ; the first and third equal and scarcely shorter ; the 
fourth a little less, the fifth very much shorter. The under parts are white 
the throat, breast and belly with a light tinge of rosy, many shades lighter 
than in specimens of linarius of the same age and season. The sides are 
streaked with dusky ; but the streaks are very sparse, and illy-defined, much 
more so than in linarius. The under tail-coverts are almost immaculate. The 
feet are brownish black, as are also the claw's ; the feet are much smaller, and 
weaker than in linarius , the difference being especially noticeable in the length 
of the toes. The middle toe without the claw is shorter than that of linarius 
by about the length of the last joint of the latter species. 
Variations by age , sex, §c. — As is usual throughout this genus, evidences of 
immaturity are to be found in the faintness, or entire absence of the rosy tint 
of the breast and rump, these parts being lightly streaked with dusky ; in the 
restriction of the crimson of the crown to a frontal patch, and in a general 
light yellowish or buffy suffusion about the head and fore-breast. The suffu- 
sion, however, does not appear to be as deep as that of linarius, and some other 
species. The females are hardly distinguishable from the young males ; but 
the crimson of the crown has usually an orange reflection, and the breast and 
rump are more thickly streaked. The size appears rather less. 
Accidental Variations. — The variations to which this species is subject, other 
than those of sex and age, are very great, much more so than exist in any 
other species of the genus. The dimensions of the whole bird ; the size, shape 
and color of the bill ; the color and number of the streaks above and on the 
sides ; the extent and purity of the white of the rump, &c., are all liable to 
great variations. Indeed, almost the only character that is perfectly constant 
lies in the feet, in their absolute size, and the relative length of the tarsus and 
toes. With this variation, however, the specimens all have a general resem- 
blance to each other, which, together with the character of the feet, render it 
easy to distinguish them from any other species of the genus. The precise 
combination of characters varies with almost every specimen ; and there are, 
moreover, intermediates to be found between all extremes ; entirely removing 
the doubt which might otherwise arise, as to whether there were not two or 
more species combined in the series of specimens. 
In an extensive series, comprising thirty-seven specimens, I have found the 
[Nov. 
