FRIXGILLIDJi — THE FIX'CIIES. 



61 



Tliis genus is well characterized by tlie large swollen bill, with its curved 

 culiueii , the huge strong feet and claws ; the long wings, a little longer 

 than the tail, and witli tiie ter- 

 tials as long as the primaries ; 

 the first four quills about equal, 

 and abruptly longest ; the tail 

 short and graduated. 



The only group of North 

 American Spizdliiuv, with the 

 tertials equal to the primaries in 

 the closed wing, is Fasserctdus. 

 This, however, has a differently 

 formed bill, weaker feet, the caiomosptza biwior. 



inner primaries longer and more regularly graduated, the tail-feathers more 

 acute and shorter, and the plumage st^reaked brownish and wliite instead of 

 black. 



Calamospiza bicolor, Eonap. 



LAKK BUNTING; WHITE-WINGED BLACKBIKD. 



Fri'iujilla hicoloi; TowNsENn, .1. A. N. Sc. Pli. VII, 1837, 189. — Ie. Narrative, 1839, 346. 

 — AUD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 19, pi. cccxc. Calamospiza bicolm; BoNAP. List, 1838. 



— Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 475. — Bated, Birds N. Am. 1858, 492. — Heekm. X, c, 15. 

 Corydalina bicolor, AuD. Synopsis, 1839, 130. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 195, pi. cci. 



— Max. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 347. -Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 225. Dolichonyx bicolor, 

 NuTTALL, Manual, I, (2d ed.,) 1840, 203. 



Sp. Char. Male entirely black ; a broad band on the wing (covering the whole of the 

 greater coverts), with the outer edges of the quills and tail-feathens, white. Length, about 

 6.50 ; wing, .3.50 ; tail, 3.20 ; tarsus, 1.00 ; bill above, .CO. 



Female pale brown, streaked with darker above; beneath white, spotted and streaked 

 rather sparsely with -black on the breast and sides. Throat nearly immaculate. A 

 maxillary stripe of black, bordered above by white. Region around the eye, a faint 

 stripe above it, and an ob.scure crescent back of the ear-coverts, whitish. A broad fulvous 

 white band across the ends of the greater wing-coverts; edge of wing white. Tail- 

 feathers with a white spot at the end of the inner web. 



Young. Similar to the female; a foint buff tinge prevalent beneath, where the streaks 

 are narrower ; dark streaks above broader, the feathers bordered with buffy-white. 



Hab. High Central Plains to the Rocky Mountains ; southwesterly to Valley of 

 Mimbres and Sonora; San Antonio, Texas, winter (Dbesser, Ibis, 1865, 490). Fort 

 Whipple, Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 84). Pariey's Park, Utah (Ridgway). 



Habit.s. Tliis peculiar species, known by some writers as the Lark Bunt- 

 ing, and by others as the White-winged Blackbird, was first described by 

 Townsend in 1837. He met with it when, in company with Mr. NuttaU, he 

 made his western tour across the continent, on tlie 24th of May, soon after 

 crossing the north branch of tlie Platte River. Tlie latter writer regarded it 



/<^, 



