380 FRINGILLIDZ. 
5. Spizella atrigularis. 
Spinites atrigularis, Cab. Mus. Hein. 1. p. 133’. 
Spizella atrigularis, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii., Birds, p. 16, t. 17. f. 1°; Dugés, La Nat. 
i. p. 140°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 15*; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 
no. 4, p. a1"; Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 381°. 
Cinerea, dorso medio rufo nigro striato, alis et cauda nigricantibus, illis rufo limbatis; subtus dilutior, ventre 
imo albicante, gula nigra; rostro rubido, pedibus obscure corylinis. Long. tota 5:4, alee 2°7, caude 3:0, 
rostri a rictu 0-4, tarsi 0°75. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
© aut av. juv. gula et abdomine concoloribus. 
Hab. Nortu America, Lower California, Arizona 4 ®&.—Mextco 1, Agua Nueva in Coahuila 
(Couch), Guanajuato (Dugés ?), Chapulco (Swmichrast *). 
Though this well-marked species has a wide range in Mexico, it seems to be nowhere 
common, and specimens, though not unfrequently to be found in Mexican collections, 
are never numerous. Concerning its habits in Mexico not a word has been recorded. 
In Arizona Dr. Coues met with it sparingly near Fort Whipple from April to October. 
In the spring the male utters a pleasing song, and towards autumn birds collect into 
small flocks and frequent weedy places, associating with the western Spizella socialis 
and Goldfinches (Chrysomitris). The nest and eggs of this species remain to be dis- 
covered. 
PASSERCULUS. 
Passerculus, Bonaparte, Comp. List Birds, p. 33 (1838) ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B.i. 
p- 5382; Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 360. 
This genus consists of about six species all inhabitants of the continent of North 
America, two of them entering our country, P. sandwichensis as far south as Guatemala 
and P. rostratus only along the eastern shore of the Gulf of California. The definition 
of Passerculus is not very pronounced, but the shortness of the tail as compared to the 
length of the wing renders it recognizable from Peucwa and other allied genera. The 
plumage is more or less spotted above and below, and the chest and flanks are distinctly 
maculate. ‘The bill is usually rather slender though more turgid in P. rostratus; the 
culmen, tomia, and gonys nearly straight; the nostrils are exposed, an overhanging 
membrane covering the upper half of the nasal fossa; the rictal bristles are strong, 
reaching half the length of the bill. The four outer quills of the wing are nearly 
equal and the secondaries are of nearly the same length; the tail is very slightly forked 
and the feathers rather narrow; the middle toe is shorter than the tarsus, but the toes 
and claws are rather stout. 
1. Passerculus sandwichensis. 
Emberiza sandwichensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 875’. 
Passerculus savanna, var. sandwichensis, Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 588’, 
Fringilla savanna, Wils. Am. Orn. iii. p. 55, t. 22. f. 3°. 
