FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 107 



from diio to tlie otlicr is so oradnal that a considerable percentage of the col- 

 lection can scarcely be assigned satisfactorily ; and even if this were possible, 

 the differences after all are only such as are caused by a sliglit change in 

 the proportion of black, and the varying development of feet and wings. 



Taking viacidatus as it occurs in tlie central portion of its wide field of 

 distribution, with wing-spots of average size, we find these spots slightly 

 bordered, or at least often, with black, and the primaries edged externally 

 with white only towards the end. The exterior web of lateral tail-feather is 

 edged mostly witli wliite ; the terminal white patches of outer feather aliout 

 an inch long ; that of inner web usually separated from the outer by a blade 

 sliaft-streak. In more northern specimens the legs are more dusky than 

 usual. The tail is \ ariable, but longer generally than in the otlier races. 

 The claws are enormously large in many, but not in all specimens, varying 

 considerably ; and the iburth primary is usually longest, the first equal to 

 ov sliorter than the secondaries. Tiiis is the race described as P. mcgctlony.r. 

 and characterizes the Middle Province, between the Sierra Nevada of Cali- 

 fornia and the eastern Rocky ilountaius, or the great interior basin of the 

 continent ; it occurs also near the head of the Eio Grande. 



On the Pacific slo]3e of California, as we proceed westward, we find a change 

 in the species, the divergence increasing still more as we proceed north- 

 ward, until in Oregon and AVashington the extreme of range and alteration 

 is seen in P. oregonus. Here the claws are much smaller, the white markings 

 restricted in extent so as to form quite small spots bordered externally l)y 

 black ; the s^iots on the inner webs of tail niucli suuiUer, and e\'eu bordered 

 along the shaft \\\i\\ black, and the outer web of the lateral entirely black, 

 or with only a faint white edging. The concealed white of the head and 

 neck has disappeared also. 



Proceeding eastward, on the other hand, from our starting-point, we find 

 another race, in P. ardicus, occupying the western slope of the Missouri 

 Valley and the basin of the Saskatchewan, in which, on the contrary, the 

 white increases in quantity, and more and more to its eastern limit. Tlie 

 black borders of the wing-patches disapjiear, leaving them white externally ; 

 and decided white edgings are seen for the first time at tlie bases of jirimaries, 

 as well as near their ends, the two sometimes confluent. The terminal tnil- 

 patches are larger, the outer web of the exterior featlier is entirely white 

 except toward the very base, and we thus lia\'e tlie opposite extreme to P. 

 oregonus. The wings are longer ; the third primary longest ; the first usually 

 longer than the secondaries or the ninth quill. 



Finally, proceeding southward along the table-lands of Mexico, and 

 especially on their western slope, we find P. maculatv.s (the first described 

 of all) colored much like the females of the more northern races, except that 

 the liead and neck are black, in decided contrast to tlie more olivaceous back. 

 The wing formula and pattern of markings are much like mcgalonyx, the 

 claws more like ardicus. Even in specimens of megalonyx, from tlie south- 



