Dickcissel 405 



which measure about '78 x "59. Aiken fomid a nest 

 on a hill-side near Colorado Springs in a rose bush, con- 

 taining three eggs and one of a Cowbird, on June 19tli, 

 while Dennis Gale gives June 25th to July 5th as the 

 average time for finding freshly laid eggs. 



Genus SPIZA. 



Medium-sized Finches — wing imder 3-5 — with a large bill somewhat 

 compressed and acute ; the culmen more than half the length of the 

 tarsus and the lower mandible deeper than the upper ; nostrils exposed ; 

 wing long and moderately pointed, the outer primary (ninth) longer 

 than the sixth, often longest of all ; inner secondaries slightly lengthened ; 

 tail rather short, about -75 of wing, more than half concealed by the 

 upper tail-coverts, feathers narrow and pointed, especially when 

 unworn ; tarsus about as long or a little longer than the middle toe 

 and claw. Plumage streaky brown above with yellow on head and 

 throat. 



Only the one species, here described, is generally known. A second 

 supposed species is represented by one example in the U.S. National 

 Museum. 



Dickcissel. Spiza americana. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 604— Colorado Records— Allen 72, p. 149 ; 

 Ridgway 73, p. 183 ; Cooke 97, pp. 109, 167, 217 ; Henderson 03, p. 108 ; 

 09, p. 238 ; Smith 08, p. 188. 



Description. — Male — Top and sides of the head grey, generally washed 

 with olive-yeUow anteriorly ; a yellow supercihary stripe ; rest of the 

 upper-surface brown, the middle of the back streaked with black, the 

 lesser and middle coverts chestnvit ; below dull white ; a triangular 

 black patch on the throat of varying development ; middle of the 

 breast yellow ; malar stripe and edge of the wing yellow ; iris brown, 

 upper and tip of lower mandible blackish, lower and sides of upper 

 blueish, feet brown. Length 6-50 ; wing 3-25 ; tail 2-50 ; culmen -60 ; 

 tarsus -88. 



The female is markedly smaller — wing about 2-90, tail 2-0 — and 

 duUer than the male ; the chestnut wing-patch and black throat-patch 

 are absent and the yellow on the head and breast much restricted. 

 Young birds have a more buffy tinge and traces of black stripes on the 

 flanks. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding from South Dakota 

 and MassachiLsetts south to the Gulf ; south in winter through Mexico 

 and Central America to Colombia and Trinidad. Now almost extinct 

 as a breeding bird east of the Alleghanies. 



