FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 325 



GENUS PASSERINA. 



534. Passerina nivalis {Linn.). Snowflake. 



lender mandible tliieker than upper, gonys very short, nostrils concealed 

 by plunuiles ; wing- nearly five times as Ions;' as tarsus ; tail emarginate, 

 about two thirds hidden by coverts ; liind claw about as long as its toe. 

 curved. Adult male in siniu/'.er : white, with black on bill, middle of back, 

 scapulars, greater part of primaries, 

 and four to six middle tail featliers. 

 Adult male inwititer : washed with rusty 

 on upper parts, sides of head, and chest ; 

 bill yellow, with dusky tip. Adult fe- Fig. 41_*. 



male in. summer: upper parts broadly 



streaked with black ; wing- and tail with black of male replaced by black- 

 ish brown ; wing- with much less white. Adult female in winter : like sum- 

 mer female, but upper parts more or less stained with rusty brown and 

 feathers of back more edged with buffy. Young : under parts dull whit- 

 ish ; upper parts gray ; wings and tail mainly dusky and brown ; white of 

 wing- much restricted. Male: length (skins) 5.8o-T.21, wing- 4.19-4.58, 

 tail 2.40-2.91, bill .o>;-.4."). Female: length (skins) 5.95-6.G2, wing 3.90- 

 4.10, tail 2.39-2.()2, bill .M8-.4:;. 



Remarks. — The September birds may be distinguished by feathers of 

 head, nape, and rump, which are basally white in the male, basally black 

 in the female. 



Distribution. — Breeds in the arctic regions of tlie northern hemisphere ; 

 in North America south in winter to the northern United States, irreg-u- 

 larly to Georgia. Illinois, Kansas. (\)lorado. and Oreg;on. 



Nest. — On ground, composed <»f dried grasses, lined with finer grasses 

 and feathers. Eggs: usually 5, whitish, varying from dull purplish to 

 greenish, speckled chiefly on larger end with shades of brown, usually 

 with a few small black markings. 



Food. — Largely weed seed, grass seed, and refu.se grain in winter, and 

 small crustaceans, moUusks, insects, and seeds in summer. 



"The snowliake is a well known summer bird in all the circum- 

 polar regions, and none of the various arctic expeditions have ex- 

 tended their explorations beyond the points where this handsome 

 species is found. It chooses indifferently the bleak shores of the 

 arctic islands encircled by an icy sea. or the warmer shores to the 

 south as far as the Aleutian Islands, and nearly as far on the 

 opposite Siberian shore of Bering Sea. Although it rears its young 

 far from the usual liaimts of man. it passes to the south and is one 

 of the most familiar and well known birds through the northern 

 states." (Nelson.) 



GENUS CALCARIUS 



General Characters. — Bill small, acut«'ly conical, deeper than broad at 

 ba.se : no.strils exposed ; wing long, pointed ; tail more tlian lialf hidden 

 by p<tinted ujjpcr coverts; Iiind daw .ilioiit iengtli of its toe. sU'iider. and 

 nearly straight. 



