BIRDS OF I^ORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 361 



MELOSPIZA CINEREA MERRILLI (Brewster). 

 MERRILLS SONG SPARROW. 



Xqij similar to M c. montcnia but slig-htly darker and more uni- 

 form above, with the g-ra^^ish edg-ings to the interscapulars and scapu- 

 lars less strongly contrasted with the darker mesial streaks, the latter 

 usually with more ])rown than black. 



J/^//c.— Length (skins), 143.51-162.56 (151.38): wing. 65.02-69.85 

 (68.07); tail, 63.75-71.88 (68.07); exposed culmen, 11.13-12.95 (12.19); 

 depth of bill at base, 6.86-7.62 (7.11); tarsus, 22.35-23.62 (22.61); 

 middle toe. 15.21-17.53 (16.51).' 



i^^/>/^r A. —Length (skins), 139.19-157.73 (117.57); wing, 63.50-68.07 

 (65.53); tail, 60.96-70.10(65.02); exposed culmen, 11.18-12.70 (11.94); 

 depth of bill at base, 6.60-7.62 {(S.SC)): tarsus, 21.59-22.86 (22. lo); 

 middle toe, 15.49-17.02 (16.00).' 



Breeding- f rom northern California (Shasta County, etc., in moun- 

 tains) and through Oregon and Washington east of Cascade ^Mountains 

 to northwestern Idaho (Fort Sherman); in winter southward into 

 Nevada (West Humboldt Mountains), Utah (Santa Clara). Arizona 

 (Apache), and northern Sonora (Bavispe Kiver, Dec). 



[The above name covers a series of "intergrades" between J/! c. 

 moiifd/Ki and 2Lc. mm'j)hna, und I have hesitated to recognize the sup- 

 posed form as a subspecies. The series in question certainly does not, 

 collectively, constitute a subspecies or geographic race in the same 

 sense as do the other forms here recognized. Besides ])eing compara- 

 tively slight, the characters of the supposed race are unstable, a series 

 of breeding birds from Fort Klamath, eastern Oregon, and another 

 from Baird, Shasta Count3% California, containing specimens that are 

 absolutely typical of Jf. c. merrilli and others which arc practically 

 pure J/, c. iii()nian(i.\ 



[Mc/ospiza /((i^ciaia] S. gnttata (not Fringilln gnttata Xuttall) Ridgway, Orn. 40th 

 Parallel, 1877, 482 (excl. syn.), 484 (West Humboldt Mts., 1 spec. Oct. 3). 



Melospiza fasciata guttata Brewster, Bull. Xutt. Orn. Clul), vii, 1882, 229 ( Walla 

 Walla, Washington; crit. ). — Fisher, X.Am. Fauna, no. 7, 1893, 100 (Santa 

 Clara, Utah, 1 spec. Jan. 13). 



\^Melospiza inelodia'] var. guttata Ridgway, Bull. Essex Inst., vii, Jan., 1875, 37 

 (West Humboldt Mts., Nevada, Oct.) . 



Melospiza melodia var. rufina (not Emberiza rvfina Brandt) Bexdike, Pro( . Bost. 

 Soc. N. H., 1877, 119 (Camp Harney, e. Oregon, 2 specs. Dec). 



Melospiza faseiata merriUi Brewster, Auk, xiii, Jan., 1896, 46 (Fort Sherman, 

 n. w. Idaho; coll. W. Brewster). — American Ornithologists' Union Com- 

 mittee, Auk, xiv, 1897, 122 (Check List, no. 581^•)•— ^^errill. Auk, xv, 1898, 

 16 (Fort Sherman, Idaho; habits, etc.). 



^P^leven specimens. '■'Six specimens. 



