Species and Varieties.
COMMON CHARACTERS. Wings and tail black, the tertials with more
or less whitish; body concolored, with more or less of a
yellowish tinge. ♂. Body yellowish, more olivaceous above; no
white at base of primaries. ♀. Body grayish, merely tinged with
yellow; a white spot at base of primaries. Nest and eggs unknown.
1. H. vespertina. ♂. Head olivaceous-sepia, with a yellow
frontal crescent and a black occipital patch. ♀. Crown
plumbeous-brown; a dusky “bridle” down side of the throat;
upper tail-coverts tipped with a white spot.
Yellow frontal crescent broad, as wide as the black behind
it; inner webs of tertials partially black; secondaries and
inner webs of tail-feathers tipped with white. _Hab._
Northern mountain regions of United States and interior of
British America … var. _vespertina_.
Yellow frontal crescent narrow, less than half as wide as the
black behind it; inner webs of the tertials without any
black; secondaries and inner webs of tail-feathers without
white tips. _Hab._ Southern Rocky Mountains of United States,
and mountains of Mexico … var. _montana_.
2. H. abeillii.[108] ♂. Head entirely black, sharply defined.
♀. Crown (only) black; no dusky “bridle” on side of throat;
upper tail-coverts without white tips. _Hab._ Mountains of
Guatemala and Southern Mexico.
Hesperiphona vespertina, BONAP.