Form. Compact and robust; plumage of the head above, elongated, and forming a pendant thick tuft on the occiput. Wings rather long; tail short, formed of weak feathers, and concealed by the superior coverts; tarsi rather short, robust; toes short; claws long, curved.
Dimensions of Capt. French’s male specimen in spirits. Total length, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 9 inches; wing 5; tail 2 inches. Female. Dr. Woodhouse’s female specimen, (dried skin.) Total length about 8¼ inches; wing, 4¾; tail, 2 inches.
Colors. Male. General color of the sides of the head and throat, white, with black stripes commencing at the base of the bill and curving above and below the eye, forming a broad, abruptly terminated somewhat triangular patch on the cheek, which is united to a wide longitudinal mark on the throat;—the entire white space enclosed by an edging of black.
Occipital tuft of crest-like feathers, buff yellow, frequently nearly white, but varying in shade of color in different specimens. Head above with a central black line commencing at the base of the bill, and running into brownish and black, on the upper part of the head.
Upper surface of the body brown, inclining to reddish chestnut, every feather having several transverse bars of black, and a narrow longitudinal stripe of pale yellowish, nearly white in the centre; wing coverts and tertiaries paler, and with the black bars much broader, and inclining to form circular spots on some of the feathers. Primaries brownish black, transversely barred with pale reddish yellow, especially on the outer webs.
Middle of the breast and abdomen fine deep chestnut, forming a wide longitudinal stripe on those parts of the body; sides and flanks sooty black, every feather marked with about six or eight circular spots of pure white; ventral region, thighs, and under tail coverts, deep black. Tail and long superior coverts same color as the wing coverts. Upper mandible nearly black; under mandible lighter; tarsi pale colored.
Female. Head above, and occipital tuft and body above, pale reddish or purplish brown, with a tinge of cinereous; every feather with transverse irregular bars and lines of black, and with a conspicuous longitudinal narrow stripe of yellowish white in the centre.
Throat pale white; inferior surface of the body pale purplish brown on the belly and flanks, with irregular lines and minute spots of black.
Hab. Mexico and Texas. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.
Obs. The descriptions by M. Lesson and Mr. Vigors, as cited above, were published nearly at the same time. That by M. Lesson appears to have had a short period of priority, which entitles his name to preference.