Dimensions
Of male No. 1.
Length from the tip of the bill to the end ofIn ches.
the tail . . . . . 24
! of the tail . • . .1 0
„ of the longest quill feather . 12
■ „. of the bill, from the angle of the
mouth . . . . . . . 1
Lines. Length of the bill along its ridge . .I nch1es. 3
0 „ of the tarsus . . . . 2 9
0 ,, of the middle toe . . . 1 9
6 ,, of the middle claw.. . . . 1 0
6
,, of the hind claw, following its curve 1 6
Another specimen (No. 3), which was killed in the woody country three or four
degrees of latitude farther north than the preceding-, may possibly be a female, in
very perfect plumage, as it is of a much larger size. It strongly resembles the
male above described, the colour of the dorsal aspect being merely less bright,
the (four) blackish-brown bars across the tail more distinct,—the subterminal one
being the broadest. The dark streaks on the under plumage are also a little
broader and more general, and the grey zig-zag lines are darker and more numerous.
The distal half of the first phalanx of the middle toe is covered above with
broad transverse scales, instead of being reticulated as in male No. 1'; in this
respect agreeing with the female, No. 2, described below, though not with another
and very similar specimen of unascertained sex, No. 4.
Dimensions
Of No. 3, sex not ascertained.
Length (total) . . . . .I2nc8he s. -Lin0es . Length of'the tarsus
,, of the tail . . . . 11 6 , M . of the middle, toe
„ of the longest; quill feather . .1 4 0 „ - of the hind claw
DESCRIPTION
.I nd3ie s. Li0nes. . . . 12 08
Of a female (No. 2), killed at her nest, in company with Nó. 1 male.
C olour.—The prevailing hue of the dorsal aspect is dark liver-brown, relieved in some
places by white, in others by pale wood-brown. On the head and back of the neck the liver-
brown occupies the centres of the feathers, almost confined to the shaft at the base, but
spreading out broadly at the tip: the wood-brown forms the margin, and the white a broad
semi-elliptical lateral mark on each web. On the back the dark-brown, narrowly edged with
white at the tip, is alone visible ; but the feathers are dark-grey at the base, and are crossed
in their middles by a concealed brownish-white bar. On the rump and lesser wing coverts
the white is mostly replaced by wood-brown. The quill feathers and their immediate coverts
present alternate bars of lighter and darker shades of liver-brown, with a few mottled white"'
and brown spots on the outer webs and some larger ones on thé inner webs partially occupying
the place of the paler brown bars. The tail coverts are barred alternately with liver-
brown and white, tinged and mottled with brown. The tail is crossed by five blackish-brown
bars, separated by broccoli-brown spaces of greater breadth. These bars are bounded by
narrow interrupted white lines, and, on the outer feathers, the broccoli-brown is replaced by
white mottled with brown. The ground colour of the under surface is white. The cheeks
are streaked with liver-brown. On the neck and breast the brown marks have an oblong
shape, and on the belly they are oval. The upper surface of the middle foe is scutellated
from the middle of the first phalanx to the claw, and reticulated at the base. The tail is
considerably rounded, its outer feathers being an inch and a half shorter than the middle
ones. Some of the quill feathers in this specimen had moulted recently before it was killed.
D imensions
Of the female, No. 2.
Inches. Lines. Indies. Lines. Length (total) . . . . ^ 28 0 Length of the tarsus . . . . 3 2
of the tail . . • . 1 2 0 „ of the middle toe . . 1 11
,, of the longest quill feather . . .1 3 6 ,, of its claw . . . . 1 0
No. 4 is a specimen which was killed near Jasper’s house, on the Rocky Mountains.
‘ Its sex was not ascertained, but its plumage is very similar to that of the
preceding, though in a more perfect state. The tail is still more rounded, but
the feathers composing it are individually more acute and have a white tip half an
inch broad. The basal half of the middle toe is also more reticulated than that of
No. 2, resembling in that respect male No. 1. The total length of this specimen
is 29 inches.
DESCRIPTION
Of a specimen Vlllod at York Factory, Aug. 14,1822, supposed to be a young bird of that season. From the recent
specimen*.
C olour.—General tints of the dorsal aspect blackish-brown and ferruginous. On the head
the former colour forms an elliptical spot in the centre °f each feather; on the wings and
scapularies it occupies more space, the ferruginous tint being confined to a narrow border,
and sometimes to an irregular streak across the feather. The quill feathers are liver-brown,
slightly clouded with wood-brown. The tail is tipped with soiled-white, and has three or four
broad, but distant, bars on a broccoli-brown ground. There is a slight intermixture of white
on the tail coverts. The under surface of the neck and body and the linings of the wings are
wood-brown, with elliptical black marks. Towards the vent the feathers are almost white,
with black shafts. The under aspects of the quill and tail feathers are yellowish-grey, barred
with brownish-black. Bill bluish-grey at the base, blackish.at the tip: the cutting margin of
the upper mandible slightly sinuated. Cere.orange-coloured. Eyelid greyish. Iris sulphur-
yellow. Tarse yellow. ' Length, 24 inches ; extent, 43 ; length of the tail, 12 inches.
* This is the specimen noticed by Mr. Sabine in Franklin's Journey.