BIRl)S—TURDIDAE—SIALIA ARCTICA. 
225 
separating the feathers. The quills are much edged with paler. The young birds have this 
brown streaked with white, except on the crown ; indeed, the under parts may he described 
sometimes as whitish, with narrow brownish edgings to the feathers on the under parts 
anteriorly. 
The bill of this species is much stouter than in mexicana, as well as longer than in sialis. 
The wings also are longer in proportion, reaching nearly to the end of the tail, which is more 
deeply forked than in either of the others. The male birds of the three species are readily dis¬ 
tinguishable ; the females are all much alike. The greener blue, the absence of rufous brown on 
either back or belly, and the longer wings, will serve to separate the latter. 
In the zoology of Stansbury’s report I characterize a species under the name of Sialia macrop- 
lera on the ground of the unusually long wings, the weak claws, and the different shade of 
blue. This specimen (3706, Salt Lake, March 21, 1851) still remains quite unique in these 
respects. I am, however, now inclined to consider it as only a larger race, because more 
northern, of the S. arctica, strengthening the general proposition of the greater size of resident 
winter or summer specimens in northern than southern localities. The weak claws may have 
been an individual peculiarity. All the specimens before me, nearly thirty in number, agree, 
with scarcely an exception, in the smaller size and shorter wings. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex and 
age. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
J875 
8 
Fort Union, Neb. 
July 1, 1843 
S. F. Baird. 
*8885 
Q 
7.00 
13.75 
4.75 
Iris dark brown.. 
8888 
9 
Sept. 13,- 
7.50 
13.50 
4.25 
8883 
7.00 
13.50 
4.50 
s 
7.25 
13.50 
4.50 
8890 
Q 
Black IIJIs .. 
7.00 
13.25 
4.50 
8884 
7.00 
13.50 
4.50 
8889 
7.00 
13 25 
4.50 
8886 
8 
7 50 
13.50 
4.50 
8887 
.do.„. 
6.50 
13.25 
4.50 
5640 
8 
196 
W. S. Wood. 
5635 
8 o 
Medicine Bow creek,Neb 
Aug. 9,1856 
232 
6990 
Cheyenne pass. 
July 20,1857 
298 
5639 
Q 
Main Fork.Laramie R.. 
216 
5638 
$ 
Aug. 9,1856 
235 
6691 
O 
Medicine Bow mountains 
July 27,1857 
335 
7080 
o 
Cooper’s creek. 
July 26,1857 
76 
37C6 
V 
A 
Salt Lake City. 
Mar. 21,1851 
7606 
o 
20 
8494 
8 
Fort Mass. N. M. 
20 
7.25 
10.00 
7609 
Near lat. 32° W. Texas. 
7612 
Mimbres to Rio Grande. 
7604 
8 
Fort Thorn. 
7605 
Q 
7607 
Lieut. Whipple .... 
15 
querque. 
76C8 
Espia, Mex. 
Mar. —,1853 
