_Collurio_, VIGORS, Pr. Zoöl. Soc. 1831, 42. (Type, _Lanius
excubitor_, L.)
_Lanius_, AUCT. (not of LINNÆUS, whose type is _L. cristatus_).
_Collyrio_, G. R. GRAY.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 323.
[Line drawing: _Collurio excubitoroides._
38423]
GEN. CHAR. Feathers of forehead stiffened; base of bill, including
nostrils, covered by bristly feathers directed forward. Bill shorter
than the head, much compressed, and very powerful. Culmen decurved
from base, the mandible abruptly bent down in a powerful hook with an
acute lobe near the tip. Tip of lower mandible bent upwards in a hook;
the gonys very convex. Rictus with long bristles. Legs stout; the
tarsi rather short, and longer than the middle toe; the lateral equal;
the claws all very sharp and much curved. Wings rounded; the first
primary about half the second, which is equal to the sixth or seventh.
Tail longer than the wings, much graduated, the feathers broad.
But few species of this genus belong to America, and these are
confined to the northern portion. For the purpose of more readily
identifying the species we present a brief diagnosis, and then furnish
descriptions of all (including a European ally) in a single table.
Species.
A. Outer webs of secondaries wholly white for basal half
(mostly concealed by coverts, however). Upper eyelid white.
C. excubitor.[82] Nasal tufts grayish-white. In other
respects, as regards colors, like _excubitoroides_. Wing,
4.20; tail, 4.00; tarsus, .95. _Hab._ Europe.
B. Outer webs of secondaries black to the base. Upper eyelids
black.
_a._ White crescent on lower eyelid. Beneath with wavy bars of
dusky in all stages. Tarsus less than 1.00; wing more than
4.50.
C. borealis. Upper half of nasal tufts white. Black
spectacle bordered above the ear-coverts by hoary whitish.
Scapulars and upper tail-coverts approaching white. Wing,
4.70; tail, 4.70; tarsus, .93. _Hab._ Arctic America; in
winter south into United States, especially into the northern
portions.
_b._ No white crescent on lower eyelid. Beneath without bars,
except in young. Tarsus more than 1.00; wing less than 4.50.
C. ludovicianus. Black spectacle not bordered over
ear-coverts with whitish.
_White patch on primaries reaching nearly as far as end of first
quill. Nasal tufts entirely black._
Black of lores and nasal tufts bordered above with hoary
whitish. Tail white at base; inner webs of secondaries
paler toward margin, but not abruptly white. Beneath
entirely white, without ashy tinge laterally, or across
breast. Axillars whitish. Upper tail-coverts ashy-white,
scapulars pure white. Wing, 4.10; tail, 4.20; tarsus, 1.10;
bill, .50. _Hab._ Western North America from Pacific Coast
east to a little beyond the Mississippi, and to Texas.
Nearly all of Mexico … var. _excubitoroides_.
Black of lores, etc., not bordered above by whitish. Tail
black at base. Inner webs of secondaries pure white to the
shaft on basal half. Beneath tinged with ashy laterally and
across breast. Scapulars and upper tail-coverts hardly
different from back. Bill, .60. _Hab._ California and fur
countries … var. _robustus_.
_White patch on primaries reaching only about half-way to end of
first quill. Nasal tufts hoary-grayish above._
Black of lores bordered above by hoary-whitish. Tail as in
_elegans_,—secondaries as in _excubitoroides_. Beneath very
strongly tinged with plumbeous laterally and across breast.
Upper tail-coverts like the back, posterior scapulars only
inclining to white. Axillars plumbeous. Wing, 3.80; tail,
3.95; tarsus, 1.00; bill, .50. _Hab._ South Atlantic and
Gulf States … var. _ludovicianus_.
We now proceed to give a more detailed table of these species, and
under the heading of each shall omit any further description:—
GENERAL COLOR. Bluish or plumbeous ash above; the outer edges of
scapulars, sometimes the forehead and rump, paler. Beneath white,
sometimes with waved transverse dark lines. A broad black stripe
from side of upper bill through eye (extending more widely
beneath than above it, sometimes wanting above) to end of
ear-coverts. Wings (except lesser coverts) and tail black; the
former with a white patch across base of primaries, sometimes on
inner webs of secondaries; the secondaries tipped with white; the
tail with broad white tips to the lateral feathers, the concealed
bases of which are also usually white.
A. Black cheek-stripes involving eyelid only on upper border
of eye, and not meeting across the forehead. A crescentic patch
of white in the black below the eye; upper edge of black stripe
behind the eye bordered by hoary whitish. Breast and belly
always with distinct, transverse waved lines of dusky. Bill,
when mature, entirely black. Length about 10 inches.
Above light ash. Upper tail-coverts and forehead much paler
than the back, the former without waved lines. Axillars
whitish.
Inner webs of secondaries paler towards edges, but not of
well-defined white. Concealed bases of tail-feathers,
except sixth, white. Tarsus shorter than the gape of mouth.
Length, 10.00; extent, 14.50; wing, 4.70; tail, 4.70; bill
above, .85; tarsus, .93 … _borealis_.
B. Black cheek-stripes not involving upper border of eye or
upper eyelid, which is whitish, and not meeting across the
forehead, its upper edge behind the eye with scarcely a lighter
border. No patch of white on lower eyelid. Under parts unvaried
white; in female obscurely waved. Base of under mandible
whitish. Length about 9 inches.
Above light ash. Upper tail-coverts and forehead decidedly
paler than the back. Axillars whitish.
Inner webs of all secondaries (except innermost) white to
shaft, except for less than terminal half, which is black
along the shaft. Concealed base of tail white, except on
sixth feather. Tarsus equal to the gape … _excubitor_.
C. Black cheek-stripes involving upper eyelid, as in A, but
without patch of white below the eye; meeting in a narrow,
sometimes inconspicuous, line across the forehead, its upper
edge behind the eye not bordered by lighter. Beneath plain
white, or very obscurely waved in _ludovicianus_ (the female?).
Bill, when mature, entirely black. Length about 8.50 inches.
Above dark plumbeous-ash. Upper tail-coverts and forehead
scarcely paler than the back. Sides and breast tinged with
bluish-gray.
Black of loral space rather hoary along upper border.
Frontal dark line inappreciable or wanting. Inner webs of
secondaries paler only along the marginal half, and not
abruptly white. Axillars plumbeous. Tail-feathers, except
the innermost, with a concealed well-defined white patch at
base, largest on the more exterior one. Bill from nostril,
.50. Under parts often with very obscure faint waved lines
(in the female?). White patch on wing reaching about to
middle of first primary. Tarsus equal to the gape. Length,
8.50; wing, 3.72; tail, 4.10; bill above, .82; tarsus, 1.00 …
_ludovicianus_.
Black of loral space without any lightening above it.
Frontal black band well marked. Inner webs of secondaries
(except innermost) pure white to shaft, except along rather
more than terminal half, where the shaft is bordered by
black. Axillars whitish. Tail-feathers black to base,
except the loose fibres, which are grayish. Bill from
nostril, .60. Under parts without waved lines. White patch
on wing reaching nearly opposite to end of first primary.
Tarsus about equal to the gape. Length, 8.75; wing, 4.20;
tail, 4.40; bill above, 1.00; tarsus, 1.20 … _elegans_.
Above light ash-color. Upper tail-coverts and forehead much
lighter than the back, the former sometimes almost white.
Sides and breast generally nearly pure white.
Black of loral space with conspicuous hoary margin above
it. Inner web of secondaries much as in _C. ludovicianus_.
Axillars whitish. Tail-feathers with concealed white patch
at bases of all the feathers. Bill from nostril about .50.
No waved lines beneath. White patch on wing reaching nearly
opposite to end of first primary. Tarsus longer than the
gape. Length, 8.50; wing, 4.05; tail, 4.25; bill above,
.83; tarsus, 1.12 … _excubitoroides_.
[Illustration: PLATE XIX.
1. Collurio borealis, _Vieill._ ♂ H. B. T., 19549.
2. “ “ “ _juv._, 17192.
3. Collurio excubitoroides, _Swains._ ♂ Neb., 38423.
4. “ ludovicianus, _Linn._ ♂.
5. Certhiola bahamensis, _Reich._ ♂ Bahamas, 11951.]
Collurio borealis, BAIRD.