FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 361 



bars ; lander parts Avhite, sides of throat and chest spotted and blotched 



with reddish brown ; flanks streaked with rufous. Young : 



similar, but colors duller and marking's less sharply de- 

 fined. Male : length (skins) 5.94-6.80. wing- 3.40-3.61, tail 

 2.64-2.91, bill .42-.."il. Female: leng-th (skins) 6.18-6.70. 

 wing 3.30-3.46, tail 2.63-2.88. bill .42-.48. 



Distribution. — Northern North America, breeding- from 

 Mag-dalen Islands to Bering- Sea ; south in winter to Florida, 

 middle Texas, and eastern base of Rocky Mountains. 



Nest. — On g-round or in bushes, made larg-ely of moss Flg'4-1.9. fox 

 and leaves. Eggs: 3 to 5, bluish green spotted with red- Sparrow, 



dish brown. 



Food. — Insects, a larg-e proportion of ragweed and polygonum seed, and 

 wild fruit. 



585a. p. i. unalaschcensis [GmfL). Townsend Sparrow.^ 



Upper parts reddish brown, more or less mixed with slaty gray, becoming 

 dark brown or foxy on rump, Avings, and 

 tail ; under parts white, tliickly marked ^^^,^. j,,^ 

 with triangular spots of dark brown converg- ^^v'^- 

 ing on breast. Male : length (skins) 6.50- 

 6.70, wing 3.28-3.39, tail 2.88-2.98, bill .49- Fio;. 450. 



.50. Female: length (skins) 6.20-6.68. wing 3.14-3.19. tail 2.71-2.80. bill 

 .50-.52. 



Remarks. — The dark reddish brown upper parts, converging spots on 

 the breast, and the long wings distinguish this subspecies. 



Distribution. — Breeds on Alaskan peninsula and islands, and migrates 

 to southern California ; casually to Lower California. 



Nest. — Near the ground in dense thickets, made largely of moss and 

 leaves. Eggs : 3 or 4, pale bluish green, or greenish gray, speckled and 

 blotched with brown and lilac. 



The members of the genus Passerella are large, strong!}^ marked 

 sparrows, with loud, rather rich voices. As the size and strength of 

 their feet show, they are diggers. A bird that I watched in Golden 



1 Mr. Ridgway ha.s restricted unalaschcensis to Alaska and separated from it the form 

 which comes to northern California as ioioisendi, adding several new subspecies which 

 winter in California. 



Passn-elld ilidcd insularis Ridgway. 



Like imalascficrn.iis, but back warm .sepia brown, spots on chest large and deep brown, 

 under tail coverts strongly tinged with buflf. 



Distribution. — Kadiak Island (and Middleton Island?), Alaska, in siunmer; south to 

 California in winter. {Thf .ink, xvii. 31.) 



Pa.i.<terella iliaca anneetrns Ridgway. Yakutat Fox Sparro-w. 



Similar to insularis., i)ut smaller, especially the bill, and coloration slightly browner. 



DLfiribution. — Coa.st of Alaska, from Cross Sounil to Prince William Sound (to Cook 

 Inlet?), south in winter to California. {The Auk, xvii. 30.) 



I'asserrlla iliaca mrrnloi'trs (Vigors). 



Like insularis, but bill smaller and coloration througliout darker. 



I)i.stribution. — Urccd.s in Yakutat Bay di.strict (?) and winters in Santa Cruz district. 

 {The Condor, iv. 4.").) IVrliapsa Hynonym of annectcns. 



I'lisseri'lla iliaca (on'nsrndi (And.). TowNSEND Sparrow. 



Like annecten.i, but darker, spots on cliest larger. 



Distribution. — ('oa.st of southern Alivska ; in winter to northern California. 



Pas.<terrlla iliarn jnliiiinosn Ridgway. SooTY Fox Sparrow. 



Like toirn.irndi, but darker and less rufescent, spots on under parts larger and more 

 confiueiit than in other forms. 



Di.Hribulian. — Breeds in coaHt district of southwestern British Cohunbia and north- 

 western Wasliington ; south in winter to coaBt of northern California. {The Auk, xvi. 36.) 



