FRINGILLID.E — THE FIXCUES. 



47 



about as long as the wings, much graduatod ; the feathers rather narrow, Hnear, and 

 eUiptically rounded at the end ; the outer wobs more than usually broad in proportion to 

 the inner, being more than one third as wide. The upper parts are oUve-green, the under 

 whitish. 



The position of this genus is a matter of considerable uncertainty. On 

 some accounts it would be better placed among the Spizmcc. 



There are numerous tropical species of this genus ; none of them are 

 nearly allied, however, to the single North American species. 



Embernagra rufivirgata, L.vweence. 



TEXAS SPARROW. 



Emhcnuigra rufivirgata, L.\wrexce, Ann. N. Y. Lye. V, May, 1851, 112, pi. v, f. 2 (Toxas). 



— ScL.\TER, Pr. Zoiil. Soc. 1856, 306. — B.\ird, Birds X. Am. 1858, 487, pi. Iv. f. 2. 



— Ib. Mex. Bound. II, Birds, 16, pl. xvii, f. 2. Zonotrichia pleheja. Light. Bon. 

 Comptes Rend. 43, 1856, 413. 



Sp. Ch.\r. Above uniform ohvaceous-green. 

 one behind the eye, dull brownish-rufous, an 

 ashy superciliary stripe whiter anteriorly. Un- 

 der parts brownish-white, tinged with yellowish 

 posteriorly, and with olivaceous on the sides; 

 white in the middle of the belly. Edge of 

 wing, under coverts, and axillaries bright yel- 

 low. Young with the head-stripes obsolete. 

 Length, 5.50 ; wing, 2.60 ; tail, 2.70. 



Hab. Valley of the Eio Grande, and prob- 

 ably of Gila, southward ; Mazatlan, Mexico. 

 Oaxaca, April (Scl. 1859. .380) ; Cordova ; 

 Vera Cruz, temperate and hot regions, breed- 

 ing (Sum. M. B. S. I, 551) ; Yucatan (Lawr. 

 IX, 201). 



A stripe on each side of the head, and 



Embernagra mjivirffata, LavT. 



In this species the bill is rather long ; the wings are very short, and mucli 

 rounded ; the tertials equal to the primaries ; the secondaries rather shorter ; 

 the first quill is .65 of an inch shorter than the seventh, which is longest. 

 The tail is short ; the lateral feathers much graduated ; the outer half an 

 inch shorter than the middle. 



All the Mexican specimens before us have the bill stouter than those 

 from tlie Rio Grande of Texas, the stripes on tlie head apparently better 

 defined. The back is darker olive ; the flanks brighter olive-green, not olive- 

 gray , tlie wings are apparently shorter. The series is not sufficiently perfect 

 to show other differences, if any exi.st. 



H.\BITS. In regard to the habits and distrilitition of this species wc are 

 entirely without any information, other than that it lias been met with in the 

 valley of the Rio Grande, and at various places in jMexico. Specimens were 

 obtained at New Leon, Mexico, by Lieutenant Couch, and at Ringgold Bar- 



