FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCnES. 537 



Passerculus savanna, \ar alaudinns, r.oxAP. : 



WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW. -^ n^ ^^ y f 



Passerctiliin nhuffinus, Bp. Coinptcs Ruiuius, XXXVIl, Dec 18o3, 91 S, California. — Ib. 

 Notes OniitlioloniiiHL'S Dcdattre, lS5i, IS (reprint of preceding). — B.vmn, Birds N. Am. 

 I8.08, 446, pi. .\lvi. — CooPKii & SucKLEY, 197, pi. xxviii, f. 2. — Elliot, lllust. Am. 

 B. III. — I).\LL & li.vNXisTEK, Tr. Cli. Ac. I, 18(i9, 284 (Alaska). —Cooper, Orn. Cal. 

 I, 181. Pdsxi: renins savanna and I', anthinus, Dall & B.VNNisTElt, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 

 1869, pp. 2S3, 284. 



Rp. CiT.Mi. Similar to P. safannii. I>iit .smaller; the bill slenderer and more elongated. 

 Little of yellow in the superciliary stripe (most distinct anteriorly); the rest of the head 

 without any tinge of the same. General color much paler and grayer than in P. savanna. 

 Breast with only a few spots. Length, 5.2.5 ; wing, 2.75 ; tail, 2. .30. 



1I.\B. Middle and Western Provinces of North America; south to Orizaba, north to 

 Aliuska (Kodiak) and the Arctic coast. Oa.xaca (Scl. Oct.) ; Vera Cruz (winter, Sumi- 

 chrast). 



This we.steni race of P. sarannn is smaller, con.sideralily paler in general 

 colors, tlie superciliary stripe with little yellow in it, and the bill more 

 slender, and longer. In coloration, some Atlantic coast specimens often 

 exliibit an a])pro.\imatiiin, especially in the pale tint of the .superciliary 

 stripe ; but the bill is always decidedly more attenuated in alaudinus. 



Tlie Western Savanna Sparrow is a common species tliroughout the West- 

 ern Province of North America, from the plains to California, and from 

 Alaska to Mexico. In California it appears to be replaced along the Pacific 

 coa.st by the variety rnif/nnit.'^, a quite different and very local form. In 

 Alaska, specimens were obtained liy the naturalists of the llussian Tele- 

 graph Expedition at \avious localities, chietiy in the interior, and on the 

 Yukon it was obtained by Mr. Lo(d<ha.rt. Dr. Cooper founil it af Fort 

 Steilacoom, in Washington Territory, wjiere it was in comjiany witli P. sand- 

 unvhensis, m the wet meadows. In ('alilovuia this species inliabits chiefly, 

 according to Dr. Cooper, the dry plains of tlie interior of tlie State. The 

 statement of the occurrence of this form anywhere along the coast of Cali- 

 fiirnia slmuld be received witli considerable doubt, since in the large series 

 of these birds all specimens fnuii tliis region are of tlie variety an/hinns, 

 an exclusively littoral type. 



Habits. The Western Sa\anna S])ariiiw was fduiid tliroughout the Great 

 liasin, bv Mr. I!iilg\\ay, in all wet, gras.sy situations, in which preference it 

 is like its eastern relative. It was very abundant at Carson City, inhabiting 

 exclusively the meadows. At Salt Lake City it was also very abundant, 

 frequenting the wet meadows near the Jordan. 



This bird was also obtained at Sitka by lUschoff, and was found on the 

 Yukon liy "Sir. Lockliart. It is the only species found in tlie Yalley of the 

 Mackenzie, up to the Arctic coast. 



Dr. Cooper also met witli it anionic; the low meadows of Washington Ter- 



