544 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Passerculus rostratus, var. guttatus, Lawk. 



ST. LUCAS SPARROW. 



J'asscrri'/ax (juttatus, Lawrence, Add. N. Y. Lye. VIII, 1867, 473. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 

 1, 185. 



Sp. Char. Above plumbeous-gray ; the feathers of the back with dusky centres and 

 paler edges ; the toji of head also streaked with dusky and with an almost inappreciable 

 median stripe of lisrhter. Upper tail-coverts slightly darker in the centre. No rufous 

 edgiui's to the feathers. Head with a pale yellowish-white Ijand from bill over the eye ; 

 and a mandibular one, nearly white, bordered aViove and Ijelow by the dusky line of 

 other Passerculus. Under parts white, thickly streaked on jugulum, breast, and flanks 

 with dusky, faintly on under tail-coverts. Bill and legs rather dusky ; iris brown. Length, 

 5.00; wing, 2.50; tail, 1.95; tarsus, .80; middle toe and claw, .75; bill above, .51; gape, 

 .56 ; greatest height, .25. 



Hab. Cape St. Lucas (Dec, 1859). 



This liini, of which a single s])eciiuen only is so far known, is very closely 

 related to P. rostratus, though very easily distinguished from it. It is con- 

 siderably .smaller than rostratits, the bill more .slender, the ujnier ]iarts much 

 diu-ker, being phunbeous, not sandy-colored; the stripes beneath darker; the 

 bill and legs more dusky. These differences may not indicate a distinct 

 species, but as the specimen hero described differs entirely from all the speci- 

 mens of a large number of P. rostratus, it is yet entitled to consideration as 

 a marked variety, — probably the resident race at Cape St. Lucas, where the 

 var. rostratus i.s merely a winter visitor. 



Habits. The St. Lucas Finch is a new species, in regard to the habits 

 of which nothing whatever is as yet known. It was obtained at San Jos^, 

 in Lower California, by .Mr. -Inlin Xautus, in December, 1859. It was found 

 in company with a Hock of Passcmilus ro^tratiis, and the presumption is that 

 its habits may resemble those of that little-known species. 



Genu.s POOCiETES, IJaifu). 



Poocn'/ex, Baiiid, Birds N. Am. 18.')8, 447. (Type, FriniitUii graminra, Gm.) 



Gen. Char. Bill rather large ; upper outline .slightly deenrvcd towards the end, lower 

 straight; commissure slightly concave. Tarsus about equal to the middle toe; outer toe 

 a little longer than the inner, its claw reaching to the concealed ba.«<' of the middle claw ; 

 hind toe reaching to the middle of the middle claw. Wings unusually long, reaching to 

 the middle of the tail as far as the covert's, and pointed; the primaries consideralily longer 

 than the secondaries, which are not much sin-passed liy the tertiaries; second and third 

 quills longest; first little shorter, about equal to the fourth, shorter than tljc tail ; the outer 

 feathers scarcely shorter; the feathers rather stiff; each one acuminate and .sharply point- 

 ed ; the feathers broad nearly to the end, when they are obliquely truncate. Stniaked 

 with lirown above everywhere ; beneath, on the breast and sides. The lateral tail-feather 

 is white. Shoulder chestnut-brown. 



