1896
29,289 has the abdominal region and breast black slightly tinged with chestnut and with one or two white feathers on either side of the belly. The left tibia (the skin on the right is wanting) is chestnut and black with white filoplumes. The chestnut on the median coverts is much reduced. No. 44,086 (♂, Fla.) is almost completely melanistic. The abdominal region is wholly black with the exception of two pure white feathers on either side of the belly. The tibiæ are smoky brown the inner side of the right one being white. The foreneck is black washed with dull chestnut, the wing-coverts are glossy black with no trace of chestnut.
This remarkable variability will be more fully appreciated by an examination of the following table:—
| No. | Abdominal Region. | Tibiæ. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | Mixed chestnut and smoky brown. | Like abdomen but right with white feathers. | |
| 2001 | Mixed chestnut and black; two white feathers on right flank. | Like abdomen | |
| 44087 | Chestnut with eight white feathers. | Chestnut, right partly white. | |
| 71 | Mixed chestnut, black and white. | Like abdomen. | |
| 44088 | White with a few chestnut and brownish feathers. | Front white, back smoky brown. | Outer primary of left wing and some feathers of bend of wing and under wing-coverts white. |
| 29289 | Black tinged with chestnut; three white feathers on belly. | Chestnut and black. | Wing coverts black tinged with chestnut. |
| 44086 | Black with two white feathers. | Right smoky brown, left smoky brown and white. | Foreneck black washed with chestnut. Wing coverts glossy black. |
