INSESSORES : FRINGILLID^:. 2OQ 



second broader but less firm, and the rest gradually di- 

 minishing in fulness and power. This song is repeated 

 at short intervals throughout the day. The nest is made 

 upon the ground, beautifully constructed, and found with 

 difficulty ; the eggs five, light sea-green, mottled towards 

 the larger end with brownish spots and blotches, and a 

 few spots of lighter tint are dispersed over the whole. 



Gambel's Finch, Z. Gambcllii, from the Rocky Moun- 

 tains to the Pacific coast, is almost precisely like the pre- 

 ceding, only smaller. 



The Golden-crowned Sparrow, Z. coronata, Baird, of 

 the Pacific coast, is seven inches long, the wing about 

 three and one third inches ; the top of the head black ; 

 median stripe yellow anteriorly, and ashy posteriorly ; 

 the sides and under parts of the head and neck, and upper 

 part of the breast, ash-color, passing into whitish beneath. 



Harris's Finch, Z. querula, Gamb., of the Missouri re- 

 gion, is seven inches long, the wing less than three and 

 a half inches, and distinguished by having the head all 

 round, the neck, and the throat, black. 



The White-throated Sparrow, Z. albicollis, Bonap., of 

 the United States east of the Missouri, is seven inches 

 long, the wing over three inches ; the crown with two 

 black stripes separated by one of white, a broad super- 

 ciliary stripe yellow to the middle of the eye and white 

 behind it, a broad black streak from behind the eye, the 

 chin white, upper part of the breast dark ash, edge of 

 wing and axillaries yellow, the back rufous brown streaked 

 with dark brown, the belly and two bands across the wing 

 coverts white. 



The Genus Junco has the bill small and conical, the 

 wings reaching over the basal fourth of the exposed por- 

 tion of the tail, the tarsus longer than the middle toe, the 

 lateral toes slightly unequal, the outer reaching to the 

 base of the middle claw, and the tail slightly emarginate. 



