DICKCIS^EL. 333 



GkNUS SPIZA fJoXAl'AUTK. 



SPIZA AMERTCAXA ((Imel.). 

 ■2i2. Dickcissel. (<i01) 



^fale : — Above, grayish-broMii ; the middle of the Iwck, streaked with 

 blaek ; the hind neck, ashy, becoming on tlie crown yellowish-olive, with black 

 touches ; a yellow superciliary line and maxillary touch of the same ; eyelid, 

 white ; ear coverts, ashy ; chin, white ; throat, witli a large jet black patch ; 

 under parts in general, white, shaded on the sides, extensively tinged with 

 yellow on the breast and belly ; edge of wing, yellow ; lesser and middle 

 coverts, rich chestnut, the other coverts and inner secondaries edged with 

 paler ; bill, dark horn blue ; feet, brown. Fetiia/t : — Smaller ; above, like the 

 male, but head and neck plainer ; l)elow, less tinged with yellow, the black 

 throat patch wanting and replaced In* sparse sharp maxillary an<l ])ectora] 

 streaks. Length, fii-7 ; wing, 2| ; tail, 2|. 



Hab. — Eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains, north tf) Massa- 

 chusetts, New York, Wisconsin anil Minnesota, and south in winter through 

 Central America to Northern South America. 



Nest, on the ground or in a low bush, built of leaves and tine gi-ass. 



Eggs, four or five, greenish-white, sometimes speckled witli leddisli-biown. 



The only record we have at present of the Black-thi'oated Bunting 

 as a bird of Ontario is that furnished by Mr. Saunders, in the Auk, 

 for July, 1SS5, page 307. The writer describes finding the species 

 in June, 1884, at Point Pelee, at the west end of Lake Erie. Tlie 

 birds were tolerably common and evidently bi'eeding, one or two 

 pairs being in every field within a limited district, but it was only 

 after considerable waiting and watching tliat tlie pai-ty succeeded in 

 discovering a nest with five fresh eggs. 



It is just possible that " Dickcissel," like some others, having 

 r(;ached the north shore of Lake Erie, may come along as far as 

 Lake Ontario, but it is rather a weakly, tender species, and we 

 hardly expect to see it much north of the present limit, although 

 there are several recoi'ds of its capture in Massachusetts and Con- 

 necticut. 



