BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. I7l 



Bill rather large (exposed culmen more than half as long as the long 

 tarsus), conical, much deeper than broad at base; depth at base nearly 

 ec[ual to distance from nostril to tip of maxilla; mandible deeper than 

 maxilla, its tomium nearly straight to the subbasal angle, where 

 abrupt! 3" deflected; maxillar}- tomium faintly concave anteriorly, then 

 gentl}^ convex, the decided basal deflection beginning directly beneath 

 the nostril; culmen gently convex at base and tip, straight between; 

 gonys very slightly convex, nearly as long as the distance from nostril 

 to tip of maxilla. Nostril exposed, with very narrow overhanging- 

 membrane. Rictal bristles small, indistinct. Wing long (more than 

 three times as long as the long tarsus), pointed (ninth primary longest 

 or equal to longest); primaries exceeding secondaries by about the 

 length of the tarsus. Tail about three-fourths as long as wing, more 

 than half hidden by the upper coverts, emarginate, the middle rectrices 

 narrow and pointed. Tarsus a little longer than middle toe with claw 

 (about three-tenths as long as wing and two-fifths as long as tail), its 

 scutella distinct; lateral claws falling decidedly short of base of middle 

 claw; hallux about as long as lateral toes, but much stouter, its claw 

 decidedly shorter than the digit. 



Coloration : Grayish or brownish above, with black streaks on back; 

 head and neck plain grayish, with white or 3-ellow superciliar}- and 

 malar stripes and at least upper part of throat white. 



Range. — Temperate North America east of Rocky Mountains (south 

 to Colombia in winter). (Two species; one extinct?) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SPIZA. 



a. Under part whitish, with more or less of yellow on breast; adult male with lesser 

 wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous, and with lower throat black. (Eastern United 



States, south to Colombia in winter. ) Spiza americana (p. 171 ) 



a«. Under parts slate-gray, becoming whitish on abdomen, etc. ; whole throat white; 

 adult male with lesser wing-coverts grayish brown, and with lower throat 

 white. (Eastern Pennsylvania; extinct ?) Spiza townsendii (p. 174) 



SPIZA AMERICANA (Gmelin). 

 DICKCISSEL. 



Adult male. — Pileum, hindneck, sides of neck, and auricular region 

 plain gra}^, the forehead and crown usualh^ more or less olive-greenish; 

 narrow superciliary stripe pale yellow, sometimes white posteriorly; 

 back and scapulars light brownish gray or grayish brown, streaked 

 with black, the rump similar but paler and grayer and without streaks; 

 upper tail-coverts brownish gray with dusky shaft-streaks; lesser and 

 middle wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous; greater coverts and tertials 

 dusky centrally, broadly edged with pale wood-brownish, the former 

 sometimes tinged with cinnamon-rufous; secondaries, primaries, and 



