Mar., 1910 
STATUS OF THE CALIFORNIA BICOLORED BLACKBIRD 
69 
so. In these tables all the measurements were taken by myself, according to Mr. 
Ridgway’s rules as given in “Birds of North and Middle America’’, and gone over 
twice for the sake of extra accuracy, and yet the more unstable ones are given more 
for the sake of comparison than as absolute figures. 
The measurements of the tarsus, and middle toe without claw were taken in a 
large number of cases, but, while the averages differed somewhat in specimens from 
different localities, the extremes varied so little that there was no evidence of these 
measurements being of value save to show that the southern California birds were a 
trifle larger than those from the central region of the state. 
I had intended to make some comparisons and draw some conclusions from the 
tables of measurements, when this article was commenced, but beyond the fact that 
the extremes are constantly overlapping, that the larger number of specimens one 
examines the greater will be the extremes, great as the variation appears even from 
the accompanying tables, and that with different series and numbers of specimens 
from those examined by Mr. Ridgway, in many cases the measurements are very 
close to his averages, I have only one conclusion to make. That is that the meas- 
urements are not to be depended on as a dividing line between gubernator and 
fthoeniceus. 
But if, as has been shown above, the only other differing characteristic, the 
middle wing coverts, fails to differentiate is there any dividing line ? 
Agela 
ins gubernator califo, 
rnicus 
Ag. p. 
neut. 
males 
13 adts Marin 
10 adts 
7 adts 
5 adts 
29 adts 
7 adts North- 
36 adts 
Breeding - plumage 
& San Benito 
Sonoma 
Solano 
Santa 
Stanis- 
ern .Santa 
South. 
Co., Cal. 
Co.. Cal. 
Co., Cal. 
Clara 
laus Co., 
Barbara 
Cal. Cos 
Co., Cal. 
Cal. 
Co., Cal. 
Ang.&c 
Wing 
Average 
125.0 
127.1 
126.0 
126.7 
126.6 
125.2 
124.4 
Max. 
130.8 
134.6 
130.8 
133.5 
133.4 
128.6 
132.7 
Min. 
118.2 
122.3 
119.8 
123.3 
120.5 
122.6 
117.6 
Tail 
Av. 
87.8 
88.6 
87.2 
88.6 
91.3 
90 3 
much 
Max. 
92.6 
98.0 
95.0 
92.0 
96.6 
92.4 
worn. 
Min. 
78.3 
83.5 
79.4 
86.3 
83.4 
84.6 
Culmen 
Av. 
21.7 
22.5 
22.9 
21.5 
22.1 
22.8 
23.0 
from 
Max. 
23.1 
24.4 
24.3 
22.3 
24.8 
23.3 
25.3 
base. 
Min. 
20.5 
20.9 
21.6 
20.5 
20.3 
77 7 
21.1 
Depth of 
Av. 
11.8 
11.2 
11.6 
11.1 
12.7 
12.8 
12.6 
bill at 
Max. 
12.1 
11.9 
12.1 
11.4 
13.9 
13.6 
14.1 
base. 
Min. 
11.2 
10.3 
11.2 
10.3 
11.3 
12.2 
11.3 
Width of 
Av. 
9.3 
9.1 
9.1 
9.1 
10.0 
10.0 
9.9 
bill at 
Max. 
9.9 
9.6 
9.6 
9.3 
11.7 
10.6 
11.1 
base. 
Min. 
8.3 
8.6 
8.8 
8.9 
9.3 
9.4 
9.2 
Width of 
Av. 
4.2 
4.2 
4.0 
4.5 
4.9 
4.5 
4.5 
bill at mid. 
Max. 
4.6 
4.5 
4.3 
4.8 
5.7 
4.7 
5.4 
of culmen 
Min. 
3.7 
4.0 
3.6 
4.3 
4.4 
4.3 
4.4 
FEMALES 
13 adts 
8 adts 
2 adts 
4 adts 
18 adts 
2 adts 
6 adts 
Breeding plumage 
Wing 
Av. 
105.6 
104.8 
104.9 
104.9 
102.9 
badly 
101.3 
Max. 
108.9 
109.4 
105.7 
106.5 
109.5 
worn 
105.2 
Min. 
101.5 
102. 1 
104.1 
103.9 
98.8 
96.5 
Tail 
Av. 
72.6 
73.9 
73.5 
72.2 
75.0 
badly 
73.3 
Max. 
78.9 
75.9 
76.7 
75.4 
82.3 
worn 
78.4 
Min. 
68.0 
72.6 
70.3 
69.9 
68.2 
67.7 
Culmen 
Av. 
18.5 
18.9 
19.4 
18.6 
19.3 
19.8 
19.5 
from 
Max. 
20.6 
20.1 
19.7 
19.2 
20.3 
20.1 
20.4 
base, 
Min- 
17.6 
18.1 
19.2 
17.8 
17.8 
19.5 
19.1 
