FRING1LLID.E — THE FINCHES. 



113 



The bill of Mr. I\Ia\Tiard's specimen is about the size of that of more 

 nortliern ones ; the ii'is is described by him as pale yellowish-wiiite, much 

 lighter thau usual. 



Pipilo maculatus,' var. megalonyx, Raird. 



LONG-CLAWED TOWHEE BUNTING. 



Pipilo megalonyx, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 515, jil. Ixxiii. — Heerm. X, .S', 51 (nest). 

 — CdoPER, Orn. Cal. I, 242. 



Sp. Cii.\r. Similar to P. arcticus in amount of white on the wings and scapulars. 

 though this frequently edged with black, but 

 without basal white on outer web of pri- 

 maries. Outer edge of outer web of external /Y7jfyY^/ \ \\ XWitii. o 

 tail-feather white, sometimes confluent with i 

 that at tip of tail. Concealed white spots on \ 

 feathers of side of neck. Claws enormously 

 large, the hinder longer than its digit; the 

 hind toe and claw reaching to the middle of the middle claw, which, with its toe, is as 

 long as or longer than the tarsus. Inner lateral claw reaching nearly to the middle of 

 middle claw. Length, 7.60 ; wing, 3.25 ; hind toe and claw, .90. Female with the deep 

 black replaced by dusky slaty-olive. 



Hab. Southern coast of California and across through valleys of Gila and Rio Grande ; 

 north through the Great Basin across from Fort Crook, California, to Fort Bridger, 

 Wyoming. 



Tliis form constitutes so stronjily marked a variety as to be worthy of 

 particular description. The general appearance is that of P. arctkus, which 

 it resembles in the amount of white spotting on the wings. This, however, 

 does not usually involve the wliole outer web at the end, but, as in orcgonus, 

 has a narrow border of l;)lack continued around the white terminally and 

 sometimes externally. There is not quite so much of a terminal wliite 

 blotch on the outer tail-feather, this being but little over an inch in length, 

 and the outer web of the same feather is never entirely white, though always 

 with an external white bordei-, which sometimes is confluent with the 



' Pipilo niaculatits, Sw.wssos. Sp. Char. Male. Similar to the female of Pyjj'Zo arrficus, but 

 rather more olivaceous ; only the head and neck all round black ; shading above insensibly into 

 the back. The white markings mostly edged nan-owly externally -with black, and clouded with 

 rusty ; the nape-feathers faintly, the interscapular broadly, streaked centrally with blackish ; 

 lower back and rump, with outer edges of quill and tail feathers, olivaceous-brown. A narrow 

 shaft-streak in white at end of tail. Fourth iiuill longest ; fifth scarcely shorter ; first about 

 equal to secondaries. Claws moderate ; perhaps larger than in eri/throphthalmns. Length of 

 skin, 7.80 ; wing, 3.15 ; tail, 4.20 ; tarsus, 1.10 ; midille toe and claw, .96 ; claw alone, .31 ; hind 

 toe and claw, .81 ; claw alone, .45. Rab. Mexico (Oaxaca ; Real del Monte, Philos. Mag., 1827). 



It is a serious question whether this comparatively little known Mexican species of Pipilo is 

 not to be considered as identical with some or all of the species of the Tnited States, with spotted 

 wing-coverts, notwithstanding the difference in the color of the body. It appears, however, to 

 be constant in the olivaceous character of the back, — no reference being made to Mexican speci- 

 mens entirely black above, — and as such it may be considered a permanent geogiaphical race. 



VOL. ir. 15 



