_Female_ (No. 5,832, Fort Steilacoom, Washington Territory, September, 1856; Dr. George Suckley). Wing, 8.50; tail, 5.70; culmen, .55; tarsus, 1.62; middle toe, 1.35. HAB. Coast region of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington Territory (probably northward to Alaska). Puget Sound, Steilacoom, Yreka, California (Oct.), and Shoalwater Bay (_National Museum_). The plumage of this race is the chief point wherein it differs from the other forms of the species; and in its peculiarities we find just what should be expected from the Oregon region, merely representing as it does the melanistic condition so frequently observable in birds from the northwest coast. The upper parts are unicolored, being continuous blackish-plumbeous from head to tail. The tail is tipped with white, but the bars are very faintly indicated, being in No. 4,499 altogether wanting, while in 21,333 they can scarcely be discovered, and only four are indicated; in the others there is the usual number, but they are very obsolete. In No. 4,499, the most extreme example, the spots on the inner webs of the primaries are also wanting; the sides of the head are very thickly streaked, the black predominating, leaving the superciliary stripe ill-defined; the throat is streaked, and the other dark markings beneath are so exaggerated that they cover all portions, and give the prevailing color; the under tail-coverts have broad central cordate black spots. Another specimen from this region (4,476, Puget Sound) is similar, but the spots on primaries are conspicuous, as in examples of the typical style; indeed, except in the most extreme cases, these spots will always be found indicated, leading us to the unavoidable conclusion that the specimens in question represent merely the fuliginous condition of the common species; not the condition of _melanism_, but the peculiar darkened plumage characteristic of many birds of the northwest coast, the habitat of the present bird; it should then be considered as rather a geographical race, co-equal to the _Falco gyrfalco_, var. _labradora_, _F. peregrinus_, var. _pealei_, and other forms, and not confounded with the individual condition of _melanism_, as seen in certain species of _Buteones_. LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED. National Museum, 6. _Measurements._ +----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+ |Sex.| Wing. | Tail. | Culmen. | Tarsus. |Middle Toe.|Specimens.| +----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+ | ♂ | 7.35–7.70| 5.25–5.60| .48–.50|1.30–1.45| 1.20–0.00| 3 | +----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+ | ♀ | 8.25–8.50| 5.70–5.80| .55–.60|1.50–1.60| 1.35–1.40| 3 | +----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+ Second quill longest; first quill equal to, a little shorter than, or a little longer than, the fourth. Var. richardsoni, RIDGWAY. RICHARDSON’S MERLIN.