Page:The birds of America, volume 7.djvu/519

Rh of small coverts, and several of those adjoining. Primary quills brownish-black edged with white, secondaries much darker and more broadly edged and terminated by white; tail feathers light blue, with a narrow band of black, terminating in a broad white band. Third quill longest, the first and second nearly equal.

Total length about 10^ inches; wing from flexure 6i; bill along the ridge ^, along the edge 1; tarsus 1; middle toe 1, its claw ^; hind toe f, its claw i; the tail, which is slightly rounded, measures A. The female remains unknown.

Here, reader, is another of those species which, by its general habits as well as appearance, I did not notice until this moment; afraid, indeed, of promulgating an error myself before the world of naturalists that exist, and who do not excuse an error, unless indeed that error is committed by them- selves. Now, however, that years have elapsed, and that in the meantime I have had ample opportunities of watching this species, and of comparing it with our Mauda alpestris, I have not hesitated to figure it, and present it to you as a good species, not hitherto placed in my works on the ornithology of our country.

This species is quite common on all the western prairies which I lately visited, and is also found in Texas, as well as in several portions of South America. It breeds on the prairies, forming its nest somewhat imbedded in the ground, and raises only one brood in a season. As I have already said,


 * See vol. iii. p. 43. t Ibid. p. 44.