AMMODRAMUS. 407 



.82-.90 (.84). Eggs .84 X -60. Sab. Western North America, north into 

 British America, east to Manitoba and eastern border of the Great Plains, 

 south to plateau of Mexico. 



540a. P. gramineus confinis Baird. Western Vesper Sparrow. 



Genus AMMODRAMUS Swainson. (Page 384, pi. CVIII., figs. 3-7; pi. CIX., 



fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Upper parts conspicuously streaked (except in A. ma- 

 ritimus'), the chest and sides also streaked in most species ; some species with the 

 edge of the wing and a supraloral streak yellow. JVest on ground, in grassy places, 

 or in grass or sedges in marshes. Eggs 3-6, speckled or spotted. 



a^. Outer pair of tail-feathers longer than middle pair; difference between length 

 of tail and wing much greater than length of bill from nostril (the wing 

 much the longer), and depth of bill at base much less than its length from 

 nostril. 

 b^. Tail three times as long as tarsus, slightly emarginate, or double-rounded, 

 the dejDth of the emargination much less than the distance from eye to 

 nostril, the feathers broader and less pointed at tip. JVest on ground, in 

 meadows or other grassy places. Eggs pale brownish, varying to dull 

 whitish, or greenish white, spotted, speckled, or blotched with brown, 

 occasionally with a few darker lines or spots. (Subgenus Passerculus.} 

 c\ Culmen straight or even depressed (concave) in middle portion, the bill 

 decidedly compressed ; primai'ies exceeding tertials by more than 

 length of exposed culmen ; upper parts consjDicuously streaked with 

 blackish. 

 d^. Exposed culmen not longer than hind-toe, without claw, and wing 

 more than seven times as long as exposed culmen. 

 Above pale grayish, the top of head and back streaked with 

 pale brown and blackish, the latter enclosed as a narrower 

 streak within the former ; median stripe on crown dull 

 light grayish buff or dull bu^y whitish ; superciliary stripe 

 similar, but paler, rarely yellowish anteriorly ; outer sur- 

 face of greater wing-coverts and tertials pale huffy brown ; 

 malar stripe pale buff or whitish ; lower parts white titiged 

 with pale brownish buff along sides (sometimes across chest 

 also), the chest and sides streaked with brown (darker me- 

 dially) ; length 6.00-6.75 (6.50), wing 2.85-3.20 (3.02), tail 

 2.25-2.55 (2.38), exposed culmen .38-.45 (.41), depth of bill 

 at base .25-.28 (.26), tarsus .85-.95 (.93). Eggs .81 X -62. 

 Hab. Breeding on Sable Island, Nova Scotia; in winter, 

 migrating along Atlantic coast, south to Virginia and coast 

 of Texas... 541. A. princeps (Mayn.). Ipswich Sparrow. 



