FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 511 



The females are less strongly marked than the males, lacking the distinct 

 l>atches of black (which, however, are nearly always faintly indicated), and 

 other characters, and are streaked like the Spizdlince. 



Species and Varieties. 



A. Prevailing color white. 



1. P. nivalis. ^. Back, scapulars, ends of tertials, alula, terminal half of 

 primaries and the middle tail-feathers, deep black ; otherwise pure white. 

 9. The black replaced by grayish with black spots; crown grayish 

 spotted with black. Young considerably tinged with ochraceous. 

 Hah. Circurapolai- regions : south in winter into the United States. 



B. Above brown, spotted with black. ^. Crown black. 



a. Six to ten middle tail-feathers almost wholly black; the rest without 

 black ends. ^ with a nuchal collar of rufous or liuft". and without rufous 

 on the wings. 



2. P. lapponicus. ^. Head, all round, and jugulum, deep black; a 

 post-ocular stripe, running downward behind the black jugular patch, 

 and entire lower parts from the jugulum, white. Nuchal collar chestnut- 

 rufous. 9 with the black areas merely indicated by a dusky clouding, 

 and merely a tinge of rufous round the nape. Hah. Circumpolar 

 regions; south in winter into the United States. 



3. P. pictus. 1^. Head above and laterally deep black, bordered 

 : anteriorly and below with white; a post-ocular sti-ipe, and an ovate 



auricular spot of the same. Nuchal collar and entire lower surface 

 bright buff. 9 ■ P'^ls' grayish-buflf, darker above ; above distinctly, and 

 on the jugulum obsoletely, streaked with black. Hah. Interior plains 

 of North America, north to Arctic Ocean. 



4. P. ornatus. ^. Head above, and whole breast and abdomen, 

 black ; a superciliary stripe, side of head, chin, throat, anal region and 

 crissum, white ; nuchal collar rufous. 9 bardly distinguishable fi-om 

 that of P. pictus. 



a. Le.sser wing-coverts brownish-gray ; black feathers of breast, 

 etc., without rufous edges. Hah. Interior plains of United States. 



var. ornatus. 



b. Lesser wing-coverts black ; black feathers of breast, etc., with 

 rufous edges. Hab. Southern plains of North America, and table- 

 land of Mexico. ....... var. Ill elan mils. 



b. Only two middle tail-feathers almost wholly black ; the rest with black 

 ends. ,J without a nucha! collar of rufous or buft', and with rufous on the 

 wings. 



5. P. maccowni. ^. Crown, and a broad crescent on the jugulum, 

 black ; rest of head and neck ashy, approaching white on the throat 

 and over the eye ; beneath white, above grayish-brown, streaked with 

 black; middle wing-coverts rufous. 9- Above yellowish-umber, be- 

 neath yellowish-white ; thickly streaked above, unstreaked beneath. 

 No rufous on wings, and no black on head or jugulum. Hab. Plains, 

 from Texas, northward. 



There seems to be no special reason for subdividing this genus, although 

 this has been done, — P. nivalis being alone retained in Plectrojjhancs ; P. 

 maccowni forming the type and sole member of the genus Rlujncophanes 



