FiaXi.UM.IK.E — TllK FINCHES. 



565 



brush alono; mountain rivulets, and similar situations, where the seeds of 

 various plants are imieurable ; its general habits resemble those of the sjDecies 

 of Zonotrichia." 



The nests were found by Mr. Ridgway in various situations ; the larger 

 numlier were upon the ground, but several were in trees varying in height 

 from six to twenty feet from the ground. They were found from the latter 

 part of May through June. A nest obtained in Southern Wisconsin by Mr. 

 Thure Kumlien is very homogeneous in structure, consisting entirely of 

 loosely intertwined stems of dry grasses, sedges, and carices. It was built 

 on the ground, is nearly Hat, and has only a very shallow cavity. Its entire 

 height is less than two inches, and the depth of its depression not half au 

 inch. The diameter of the nest is three and a half inches, and that of the 

 cavity at the rim three inches. 



The maxinmm number of their eggs is five. Their average measurement 

 is .85 by .65 of an inch. The ground-color is usually a grayisli-white, 

 rarely a light brown, marbled and streaked with waving lines, and a few dots 

 of black or a blackish-brown. 



Genus ZONOTRICHIA, Swaixson. 



Zonotrichia, Sw.\ixsON, Fauna Eor.-x\ni. II, 18.31. (Type, Emberiza Uucophrys.) 



Gen. Char. Body rather ^lout. Bill conical, slightly notched, somewhat compressed, 

 excavated inside ; the lower mandible rather lower than the upper ; gonys slightly 

 convex ; commissure nearly straight. Feet stout ; tarsus rather longer than middle toe ; 

 the lateral toes very nearly equal. Hind toe longer than the lateral ones ; their claws 

 just reaching to base of middle one. Inner claw contained twice in its toe proper; 

 claws all slender and considerably curved. Wings moderate, not reaching to the middle 

 of the tail, but beyond the rump ; secondaries and tertials equal and considerably less 

 than longest primaries ; second and 

 third quills longest ; first about equal 

 to the fiftb. much longer than tertials. 

 Tail rather long, moderately rounded; 

 the feathers not very broad. 



Back streaked. Rump and under- 

 parts immaculate, except in young. 

 Head black, or with white streaks, 

 entirely difl'erent from the back. 



This genus eniliraces some of 

 the most beautiful of American 

 Sparrows, all of the largest 

 size in their subfamily. zon.,iriMa i,nco,Arys. 



All the species properly belonging to this genus are North xVmerican ; 

 several South American species, have, however, been assigned to it ; but 

 they are none of them strictly congeneric with those given below. 



