148 BULLETIN 50, ITNITED STATES T^^ATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Aleutian, and Shumagin islands, Alaska; Commander Island;^, Kamchatka; 



Siberian coast of Bering Sea.) Passerina nivalis townsendi (p. 152) 



an. Inner webs of primaries with at least the basal half white; adults with Ijack and 

 scapulars white (streaked with black in female). (Breeding on Hall and St. 

 Matthew islands, Bering Sea; coast of Alaska in winter.) 



Passerina hyperborea (p. 153) 



PASSERINA NIVALIS NIVALIS (Linnaeus). 

 SNOW BUNTING; SNOWFLAKE. 



Adult nude iti suiuiuer. — General color pure white; back, scapulars, 

 alula, innermost secondaries and greater wing-coverts, greater part of 

 primaries, and four to six middle tail feathers (sometimes rimip also) 

 black; 1:)ill black; legs and feet black, or the former sometimes dark 

 brown. 



Adidt iii(de in inlnte}'. — Similar to the summer plumage, but the 

 white parts (except under parts of body) stained with rusty brown, 

 especially on pileum (where sometimes rich dark brown) and hind- 

 neck, and the black of the back, scapulars, etc., broken (sometimes 

 almost concealed) by broad margins of rusty and butfy whitish; bill 

 yellow. 



Adult femah- ni xumiiwr. — Pileum dusk}^, the feathers margined 

 with dull whitish or pale grayish butfy; hindneck dull whitish or pale 

 dull buffy, streaked Avith dusky; back and scapulars (sometimes rump 

 also) dull black or dusky, the feathers more or less distinctl}^ mar- 

 gined with dull whitish (their edgings quite worn off in midsummer 

 plumage); lesser and greater wing-coverts blackish, margined and 

 edged with whitish; greater part of secondaries, three outermost rec- 

 trices, and under parts (sometimes rump also) white; bill dusky. 



Adult female in winter. — Similar to summer female, but upper parts 

 more or less stained with rusty brown, especially on crown, auricular 

 region, and sides of chest, and paler margins to feathers of back, etc., 

 broader, more buli'y or buti'y grayish; bill yellowish. 



Young. — Head, neck, l)ack, scapulars, and rump brownish gray, 

 more or less tinged with olive, the back streaked with dusky; anterior 

 under parts paler gray than upper parts, the chest and sides of breast 

 usually obsoletely streaked with dusky; under parts of bod}- mainly 

 white, usually tinged, more or less, with pale olive-yellowish; wings 

 and tail much as in winter adults. 



Adult male.— Ij^ngth (skins), 148.59-183.39 (161:.()8); wing, 10»:).43- 

 11H.33 (110.49); tail, 60.96-73.91 (66.04); exposed culmen, 9.65-11. 4'; 

 (10.41); depth of bill at base, 5.81-6.86 (6.35); tarsus, 20.57-23.ii 

 (21.84); middle toe, 12.95-14.99 (14.22).^ 



Adult female.— Length {skmB)^ 151.13-168.15 (160.27); wing, 99.06- 

 104.14(102.11); tail, 60.71-66.55 (63.50); exposed culmen, 9.65-10.92 



^ Thirty-six American specimens. 



