BLACK B.KWK.—{rARIETY*) 
[Plate LIII. — Fig 2.] 
Peale’s Museum, JVo. 405. 
This is probably a younger bird of tbe preceding species, 
being, though 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 
preceding; 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 bi’own, on a 
pale yellowish white ground; whole upper parts brown black, 
dashed with brownish white and pale ferruginous; tail white for 
half its length, ending 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; femorals and feathered legs 
the same, but rather darker; vent plain brownish white. 
The original colour of these birds, in tbeir young state, may 
probably be pale brown, as the present individual seemed to be 
changing to a darker colour 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 colour between any two, 
tbe eye, countenance, and form of the head, instantly betray 
* As Wilson supposed this is the young- of the preceding species. 
VOL. I. Q q 
