AMBIGUOUS SPARROW. 485 



This bird is in fact a congener of the Cow-Troopial, 

 an Icteria ; yet it differs essentially from the young of 

 that species, not only in the colors of the plumage, but in 

 that of the bill and legs, which are not black. The bill 

 is also narrower at the sides. The size is likewise much 

 smaller. May not this be the offspring of the white and 

 more sparingly spotted egg, deposited, occasionally in the 

 nests of the Cow Bird's nurses ? I saw one of these 

 foundlings soon after hatching, this summer, in the nest 

 of a Wilson's Thrush ; it was then clothed in a pale al- 

 most lohitish-grey down, and already differed from the 

 ordinary parasite ; but the nest was robbed soon after 

 this occurrence, and I am yet unable to offer any thing 

 certain upon the subject, excepting, that the eggs are 

 easily, and certainly, recognizable from all others. 



The Long- Winged or Mouse-colored Sparrow is Q^ inches in length. 

 Length of the closed wing from the summit of the shoulder to the 

 point 3|, (or | of an inch longer than in the preceding species.) 

 Tarsus 1 inch, (in the B y-winged Sparrow | of an inch.) Bill 

 yellowish-brown, rather long and robust, without notch. Legs and 

 feet very stout, pale brown; the claws short, thick, and rather 

 blunt. Above, of a;- almost uniform brownish-grey, the tail only being 

 a shade deeper ; most of the feathers below the neck and down to the 

 rump are just sensibly terminated by a slight edge of dull brownish- 

 white } the coverts, tertials, and wing-feathers more broadly margin- 

 ed with the same ; the 1st primary longest, the 2d and 3d but little 

 shorter ; the ith, 5th, and 6th rapidly decreasing; the 1st longer than 

 the 5th by | of an inch ! (in the preceding species the 1st and 5th are 

 not very different in length.) Inner lining of the wing dusky. Tail 

 plain dusky-grey and cuneiform. Beneath pale yellowish-white, 

 the chin without spots, below to the belly thickly clouded with shad- 

 ed ill-defined pale dusky spots. The rump almost plain dark grey. — 

 The long wings, stout le .s, and p^ain color, at once distinguish this 

 from all other North American Sparrows. The specimen is, however, 

 a young bird, and may undergo some alteration of plumage. 



41* 



