1. S. varius. Back variegated medially with brownish-white; secondaries with transverse rows of white spots.
White and black stripes on side of head sharply defined, as is also the black pectoral crescent. Red confined to isolated patches,—two large ones, one on the crown and one on the throat; when there is more, only a tinge on the auriculars, and a crescent on nape.
Crown sometimes glossy black without a trace of red on the female; no tinge of scarlet on the nape. Red of the throat entirely confined
within the broad, continuous black maxillary stripe. Female with the throat wholly white. Hab. Eastern Province North America, south in winter into West Indies, and over whole of Mexico, to Guatemala … var. varius.
Crown always red in adult. A nuchal crescent of scarlet in both sexes. Red of the throat not confined by the black maxillary stripe, which is interrupted by it in the middle, allowing the red to touch the white stripe; a tinge of red on the auriculars. Female always with more or less red on lower part of the throat. Hab. Rocky Mountains and Middle Province of United States … var. nuchalis.
White and black stripes on side of head obsolete, as is also the black pectoral crescent, caused by being overspread by a continuous red wash extending over whole head, neck, and breast.
Whole head, neck, and breast red, with the light and dark stripes of the normal pattern only faintly traceable. Sexes similar. Hab. Pacific Province of United States, north to British Columbia … var. ruber.
2. S. williamsoni. Back unvariegated; secondaries without bands of white spots.
Whole crown and upper parts (except lower part of rump and upper tail-coverts, and wing-patch), a stripe on side of head, a broader one on side of the throat, and the whole jugulum and sides of the breast, unbroken glossy-black; abdomen bright lemon-yellow. Male with a narrow stripe of scarlet on middle of the throat. Female with it white. Young like the adult. Hab. Western Province of United States.
B. Wing without a white patch. Markings on sides regularly transverse.