FRINGILLIU.E — THE FINCHES. 221 



SECTION II. 



Head and body abucc bivicn : titnnit with a liij/tt patch. 



Pipilo fuscus, SwAixsdx. 



Synopsis of the Varieties. 



Common CnAKACTKUS. Grayish-brown above, with a more or less appi-eciable 

 rufous tinge on the crown. A jjateh covering the throat, ochraceous or white, 

 contrasting with the surrounding portions, and encircled more or less com- 

 pletely, especially posteriorly, by dusky spots ; lores like the chin. Crissum deep 

 ochraceous, the lower part of abdomen tinged more or less with the same. 

 A. No trace of white tips to middle wing-coverts. Throat ochraceous. 

 a. Cro\\-n only famtly tinged with rufous. 



1. Abdomen pale grayish-brown ; throat and lores deep reddish- 

 ochraceous; the deep ochraceous confined posteriorly to lower 

 tail-coverts. Wing, 3.90 ; tail, 5.00. Hah. California. var. r ri.i .fat i.'s. 



2. Abdomen distinctly white centrally, but surrounded by grayish 

 laterally and anteriorly ; tln-oat and lores pale ochraceous ; deep 

 ochraceous of crissum extending forward over lower part of 

 abdomen. Wing, 3.80; tail, 4.00. JIab. Me.xico . var. / (t s c ». s .' 



6. Crown ver}" distinctly rulbus. 



3. The ochraceous of posterior under parts spreading over whole 

 lower part of abdomen and flanks. Ochraceous of the throat 

 palest anteriorly, the chin and lores being almost white; it spreads 

 over the jugulum also, outside the series of rather scattered dusky 



1 Pipilo fuscim, Sw. Plul. Mag. 1, 1S27, 434 (Tennsealtepec). — 1b. Aiiiiu. in Menag. 1838, 

 347. — Bp. Coii.sp. 18.51, 487. — Sclatkis, 1'. Z. 8. ISoG, 304 (Cordoval. > Kii-neriu fasca, Bp. 

 C. R. XL, 1855, 356. 



Sp. Ch.\r. Above dull olive-brown ; the top of head liaving the central jiortion of feathers 

 tinged (inconspicuously and obscurely) with nifous. Chin and throat pale rufous, bordered by 

 dusky streaks ; a single dusky spot in lower part of jugulum. Belly and flanks behind, anal 

 region and ciissimi, rather darker rufous. Sides grayish-olive, lighter than the back, tingeing the 

 breast, and leaving only a small patch in the centre of under parts white, shading into the sur- 

 rounding ashy-brown. Fourth and fifth quills longest ; first .shorter than ninth, or than secon- 

 daries. 



X>imCTUsiO)i,s- (prepared specimen) : Total length, 7.75; wing, 3.8U ; tail, 4.20; e.xposed portion 

 of first primary, 2.30 ; of longest (measured from e.xpo.sed base of first primary), 3.03. Bill: 

 Length from forehead, .65 ; from nostril, .40. Legs : Tarsus, .95 ; middle toe ami claw, 1.00 ; 

 hind toe and claw, .68 ; claw alone, .36. Hah. Highlands of Mexico. 



The specimen described is from the city of Mexico, and belongs to Mr. G. N. Lawrence ; others 

 before us are from Temiscaltepec (the original locality of Swainson's type), Guadalaxara, and 

 Tepic. 



While admitting the strong probability that the different brown Pipilo.i with rufous throat 

 bordered by black spots, P. fuscus, crissalii, mcsoleucus, albigulft, and probably even albicollis, 

 are geogi-aphical modifications of the same original type, the large collection before us vindicates 

 the action of those who have referred the California species to that described by Swainson asfm- 

 ciis, and who have distinguished the P. mesolcucits from both. The original description o( fuscus 

 agrees almost exactly with crissalis, both actually scarcely separable ; while the mcsolcucu.-), in- 

 termediate in geographical position, is decidedly different from either. The relationships of 

 these different forms will be found expressed in the general diagnosis already given. 



Two descriptions given by Sw-ain.son, copied below, of the P. fu.icus, differ somewhat from eacli 

 other, and may not have been taken from the same specimen. Tlie identification of either with 



VOL. II. 16 



