BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 233 



would, on account of its wing-formulsi. have to be referred to Aimo- 

 phila. in a section hj itself. 



Ho^Yever distinct these groups may appear at lirst sight, they seem, 

 nevertheless, to be connected; thus. ^i. notosticta^ while a member of 

 group a as to coloration agrees best in form with members of group 

 h. particularly in its XQvy long tail. The two species composing- 

 group c\ while resembling one another so closely in coloration as to 

 leave no doubt as to their close relationship, difler very much in form, 

 A. sumichrasti having the short, stout tarsus of group />, while A. 

 cavjmlis is unique in the shortness and relative depth of its bill. A. 

 qinnquedriata is very much like A. ruficepa of group a in general 

 form, but has relatively longer primaries than any other member of 

 the genus, except those of the Peuaea group, though the wing- 

 formula does not agree with that of the latter. 



Four South American (Peruvian) sparrows have been referred to 

 AhnophUa. but are undoubtedly distinct generically. as I have been 

 able to determine b}' examination of three of them {Ilcemophild stols- 

 manni Taczanowski, II. personata Salvin, and H. Iceta Salvin. These, 

 together Avith 11. pidchra Sclater, belong to two genera peculiar to 

 the highlands of Peru, related to A^niopJnhi and Jidk-o. h\\\ distinct 

 from either.^ 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF AIMOPHILA. 



a. Anterior under parts pure white, with or without black or gray across chest, or 

 else deep gray with black on sides of throat; pileum conspicuously tive-striped, 

 (two lateral black or brown crown-stripes and a white or gray median crown- 

 stripe and superciliary stripe), or else plain blackish or grayish, with or 

 without black streaks. 

 h. Pileum plain dusky or grayish, with or without narrow black streaks, 

 c. Tail shorter, or at least not longer, than wing; liack purplish grayish brown 

 or chocolate, entirely without streaks; lesser wing-coverts, sides, and flanks, 



plain gray. (Northwestern Mexico. ) Aimophila quinquestriata (p. 236) 



cc. Tail much longer than wing; back l)uffy brown, or cinnamon-rufous, streaked 

 with black; lesser wing-coverts not graj'; flanks buffy or cinnamon. 

 (I. Upper throat black; lower throat and chest gray; rump cinnamon-rufous; 

 lesser wing-coverts blackish. (Southern portion of ^lexican plateau.) 



Aimophila mystacalis (p. 236) 



dd. Whole throat white; a broad band of black or dark slaty across chest; rump 



grayish brown; lesser wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous. (Southern portion 



of Mexican plateau. ) Aimophila humeralis (p. 237) 



hh. Pileum conspicuously five-striped (two black or dark brown lateral crown- 

 stripes and a median crown-stripe and superciliary stripe of white or gray), 

 c. Chest conspicuously spotted or clouded with gray. 

 d. Smaller (wing of adult male 71.63, tail 79.25-83.31); back slightly Ijrowner 

 and tail slightl)' more rufescent. (Guatemala to Costa Eica.) 



Aimophila ruficauda ruficauda (p. 238) 



' Incmplza Eidgway (type, Hsemophila pulchra Sclater) and Rhynchospiza Eidgway 

 (type, Hxmoplula stohmaniii Taczanowski). See The Auk, xv, July, 1898, 224. To 

 the former belong also H. personuta Salvin, and H. lata Salvin. 



