250 



ZOOLOGY BIRDS. 



" These birds are, in habitat, the associates of the White-tailed Ptarmigan, 

 and, like that bird, are never found below the timber line in summer, rang- 

 ing thence upward to the summits of the highest peaks. It is never found 

 singly, but usually in flocks of from six to thirty, and rarely far away from 

 large bodies of snow ; its favorite resort being the edges of snow banks, 

 where they find grass seeds, and also a small black coleopterous insect. 

 Even when found among the scrub pines, which was rarely the case, it was 

 noticed that they seldom alighted on a tree, but kept constantly on the 

 ground. At all times, they were rather shy and suspicious. The specimens 

 taken were all in breeding dress." 



Mr. Aiken obtained two specimens of this species at Mount Blanco, N. 

 M., which is perhaps near the limit of its southward range. I did not find 

 it among the White Mountains of Arizona at an altitude of 12,000 feet. 



PLECTROPHANES ORNATUS, Towns. 



Chestnut-collared Bunting:. 



Plectrophanes ornatus, TOWNS., Jonr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, 1837, 189. WOODH., 

 Sitgreave's Exp. Zuui & Col. Riv., 1854, 88 (Indian Territory). BD., Birds 

 N. A., 1858, 435. HAYD., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., xii, 18C2, 105. ALLEN, 

 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1872, 177 (Middle Kansas). COUES, Key N. A. 

 Birds, 1872, 134. SNOW, Birds Kan., 1872, 10. COTJES, Am. Nat., viii, 

 1874, 602 (Northern Dakota, Eastern Montana, breeding). BD., BREW., 

 & RLDG., N. A. Birds, i, 1874, 520, pi. xxiv, f. 3. HENSHAW, Rep. Oru. 

 Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 109. ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., June, 1874, 16, 25. COTJES, Birds Northwest, 1874, 122. 



Plectrophanes melanomas, BD., Birds N. A., 1858, 430. IlEEKM., P. 11. R. Rep., x, 1859, 

 Park's Route, Birds, 13 (New Mexico). HAYD., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., xii, 

 1802, 105. COUES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1SOG, 84 (Arizona). SNOW, 

 Birds Kan., 1S72, 10. 



Ph-vtroplianns urnatux var. mclanomvH, BD., BREW., & RiDU., N. A. Birds, i, 187-1. 5lM, 

 pi. xxiv, 1. (i. 



