382 
U. S P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
POLIOPTILA PLUM BE A, Baird. 
Culicivora plumbea, Baird, I’r. A. N. Sc. VII, June,'1854, 118. 
Sr. Cii.—A bove bluish gray ; the forehead uniform with the crown. Eyelids white. A pale grayish white line over the eye ; 
above which is another of black, much concealed by the feathers, and which does not reach to the bill. Under parts dull 
white, tinged with bluish on the sides, and with brownish behind. Tail feathers black ; the first and second edged and tipped 
with white ; involving the entire outer web of the first, and most of that of the second ; the third with only a very faint edging 
of the same. Female without the black superciliary line. Length, 4.40 ; wing, 1.80 ; tail, 2.30. (7189.) 
Hab .—Valley of Colorado and Gila. 
The I ail of this species is considerably graduated, the outer feather being nearly .40 of an inch 
shorter than the middle one. The bill is rather short and broad at the base. The wings are 
short; the exposed portion of the first primary more than half as long as the second, which is 
rather shorter than the secondary quill; the third quill is about equal to the sixth, and con¬ 
siderably shorter (.14 inch) than the fourth and fifth, which are equal. 
There is a good deal of brown in the bluish of the hack ; the quills are all margined with 
paler blue, which becomes whitish on the tertiaries. 
This species is about the size of P. caerulea, but rather larger. The bluish above is not so 
pure, having a dirty olivaceous tinge. Both have the black streak over the eye ; but this in 
caerulea is continuous with a black frontal band, while in plumbea the forehead is like the 
crown, and the superciliary line does not extend over the lores. The light superciliary line is 
also more distinct. The under parts are of about the same color in both species. The tail is 
very different, the feathers being entirely blade, the exterior edged only with white instead of 
having the two outer almost entirely white, as in caerulea. 
Prom P. melanura this species differs in lacking the black crown. It is larger, the under 
parts are purer white. The tails are somewhat alike, but the entire outer web of the first and 
generally the second feather in plumbea are white, instead of being only narrowly edged with 
this color. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex & 
age. 
Localtity. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— Remarks. 
7189 
3 
Camp 119, Bill Williams’ Fork. 
Feb. 11, 1854 
Lt. Whipple_ 
91 
Kenn. and Moll _ Eye black .. 
A 
Feb. 5, 1854 
_do_ 
70 
_do__ _...... 
7187 
9 
Mar. —, 1855 
Maj. Emory_ 
38 
POLIOPTILA MELANURA, Lawrence. 
Culicivora atricapilla, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lyceum, V, Sept. 1851, 124. Not of Swainson. 
Culicivora mexicana, Cassin, Ulust. I, vi, 1854, 164 ; pi. xxvii. Not of Bonaparte. 
Polioptila melanura, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lyc. VI, Dec. 1856, 168. 
Sp. Cii. —Above ashy blue ; whole crown to bill and eyes, and tail feathers lustrous greenish black. Beneath pale bluish 
gray, almost white in the middle of the belly ; the sides behind, with anal region and under coverts tinged with brown. Edge 
of eyelids and the margin and tip of the outer web of first and second tail feathers white. Female without the black head. 
Length, 4.15; wing, 1.85; tail, 2.10. 
Hab .—Valley of the Rio Grande and Gila. West to San Diego. 
