_Asturina nitida_, CASS. Birds N. Am. 1858, 35.—SCL. & SALV. Ibis,
1859, 217.—SALV. Ibis, 1861, 68.—SCL. P. Z. S. 1857, pp. 201, 227;
1859, pp. 368, 389; 1864, 178.—LAWR. Ann. N. Y. Lyc. IX, 133.—OWEN,
Ibis, III, 1868 (egg white). _Asturina cinerea_, CASS. P. A. N. S.
1855, 283 (not of VIEILL.!). _Asturina plagiata_, SCHLEG. Mus.
Pays-Bas. _Asturinæ_, p. 1.—SCL. & SALV. P. Z. S. 1868, 173; 1869,
130.—GRAY, Hand List, I, 30, 1869.—RIDGW. Am. Nat. VI, July, 1872,
430; VII, April, 1873, 203; (Southern Illinois, August).
SP. CHAR. _Adult male_ (51,343, Mazatlan, Mexico; Ferd. Bischoff.
“Length, 16.00; extent, 38.00”). Above deep, rather dark cinereous,
becoming paler and finer on the head above, where the feathers have the
shafts (finely) black; wings with obsolete lighter bars; rump almost
black. Upper tail-coverts immaculate pure white. Tail pure black, tipped
with pale grayish-brown (this passing terminally into white); about
1½ inches from the tip is a continuous band of white, half an inch in
width; and a little over an inch anterior to this is another narrower
and less perfect one. Primaries approaching black at ends; the tips
broadly edged with dull white, as also the ends of secondaries. Head
uniform fine delicate ashy, becoming white on chin and throat, and
approaching the same on the forehead; shafts of feathers on head above,
and neck, black; neck with obsolete paler transverse bars, these most
distinct on jugulum; the breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, axillars, and
tibiæ are regularly barred transversely with cinereous and pure white,
the bars of each about equal, the white, however, gradually increasing,
and the ashy bars narrowing posteriorly, the tibiæ being finely barred;
lower tail-coverts immaculate pure white. Lining of the wing white,
with very sparse, faint, transverse zigzag bars next the axillars and
on larger coverts; under surface of primaries white anterior to their
emargination, beyond which they are more silvery, leaving about an inch
of the terminal portion black, the end of each, however, ashy; outer
two quills crossed by narrow bars of ashy, the rest with indications of
the same, near the shaft. Fourth quill longest; third scarcely shorter;
second shorter than fifth; first intermediate between eighth and ninth.
Wing, 10.50; tail, 7.00; tarsus, 2.60; middle toe, 1.50.
_Adult female_ (34,002, Mazatlan, June; Colonel Grayson). Cinereous
above darker, the fasciæ of the wings hardly observable; front and
throat scarcely whitish; rump almost pure black; second tail-band much
broken and restricted. Ashy prevailing on the jugulum; ashy bars beneath
rather broader. Wings, 11.00; tail, 7.50; tarsus, 2.80; middle toe,
1.70.
_Young male_ (35,060, Rio de Coahuyana, W. Mexico, October; J. Xantus).
Above, from bill to upper tail-coverts, dark bistre-brown, almost black;
feathers of the head and neck edged laterally with pinkish-ochraceous,
or sulphuret of manganese color; scapulars with nearly whole outer
webs of this color, they being blackish only along edges and at ends;
middle wing-coverts spotted with the same. Secondaries and primaries
faintly tipped with whitish; secondaries with indications of darker
bands, and outer webs of primaries with still more obscure ones; upper
tail-coverts white, with sagittate specks of black, one or two on each.
Tail umber-brown (considerably lighter than the wings), tipped with
pinkish-ash (this passing terminally into dull white), and crossed
with six or seven bands of black (these becoming gradually, but very
considerably, narrower toward the base). Beneath white, with vinaceous
tinge (this deepest laterally); breast, abdomen, and sides with large
tear-shaped or cuneate spots of black; tibiæ with numerous transverse
bars of the same.
_Young female._ Similar to last, but the brown lighter, and more
approaching umber.
HAB. Middle America (from coast to coast), from Costa Rica and Guatemala
to southern border of United States. Arizona, breeding (BENDIRE).
Southern Illinois (Richland Co.) June (RIDGWAY).