386 FRINGILLIDZ. 
is a black line on either side of the upper part of the throat, and other slighter 
differences. 
As Mr. Ridgway justly remarks, C. petenicus and its allies are abnormal members 
of either Coturniculus or Ammodromus, but we hesitate, as he did, to make a separate 
genus for them. 
MELOSPIZA. 
Melospiza, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 476 (1858) ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 16; 
Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 369. 
This genus, with Peucwa, forms section C of the “Spizelline” of Messrs. Baird, 
Brewer, and Ridgway’s arrangement, and is distinguished by the following common 
characters :—The tail is lengthened and graduated (7. e. rounded and not forked), longer 
than the wings, which are very short, hardly extending when closed beyond the base of 
the tail. All the species are streaked above, and the tail is without white on the 
lateral feathers. 
From Peucea, Melospiza may be distinguished by the species being streaked beneath 
on the chest and flanks, the tail-feathers rather broad, and the culmen and tomia nearly 
straight ; the claws stout, that of the hind toe being as long as its digit. 
The differentiation of the species of Melospiza offers a very complex problem so far 
as regards M. fasciata and its races, a problem which not even the resources of the 
National Museum at Washington have solved to the satisfaction of all who have con- 
sulted its treasures, for those who have done so do not arrive in all cases at the same 
conclusion as to which forms should be considered species and which varieties. ‘The 
accumulation of materials seems to render the lines of definition between the various 
races of this species more and more obscure, so that we may fairly expect them to 
become entirely obliterated as means of observation grow; or, on the other hand, that 
certain of these lines may prove to be still definite though faint. 
So far as concerns one of the members of Melospiza found in Mexico, M. heermannt, 
we rather incline to the belief that it will ultimately be found separable from V. fasciata; 
but of M. montana we are not in a position to offer any opinion. MV. lincolni is an 
isolated species offering no difficulty. 
It is probable that all three forms included below are winter visitors to Mexico or 
Guatemala, but on this point our information leaves much to be desired. 
1. Melospiza lincolni. 
Fringilia lincolni, Aud. Orn. Biogr. i. p. 539, t. 1937. 
Peucea lincolni, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 481°. 
Passerculus lincolni, Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 303°; 1859, p. 365%; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 18°. 
Melospiza lincolni, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. 11. Birds, p. 16°; Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p.879"; Dresser, 
Ibis, 1865, p. 489°; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 552°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. 
