FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 333 



The Belding marsh sparrow is an abundant resident of the salt 

 water marshes along- the coast of southern California, /nesting in the 

 marsh grass just above the reach of the tide. 



544. Ammo dram us rostratus Ca,s.s. Lakge-billed Spakrow. 



Upper parts li(/ht (jnti/islt hroirn. indistinctly streaked; under parts exten- 

 sively streaked with sandy brown ; bill 

 tony and swollen and regularly curved 

 from base. Male: length (skins) ."j.10- 

 5.70, wing- 2.72-lMt2, tail 1.1»:)-2.17. 

 bill .48-.*)4. Female: length (skins) 

 5.20-5.70, wing 2.. ■>L>-L>.S;l, tail \.^-\- Fig. 4-_>l. 



2.14, bill •42-..-)K 



Remarks. — The large bill and nearly unifcn-ni light brown coloration of 

 upper parts distinguish this sparrow from the rest of the grouj). 



Distribution. — Breeds in salt mar.shes on the coast of southern and 

 Lower California ; migrates to Cape St. Lucas and northwestern Mexico. 



Mr. Stephens reports that the large-billed sparrow is a common 

 winter resident of the seacoast of southern California, where it is 

 seldom found more than half a mile from the water's edge, but that 

 it prefers streets and the neighborhood of buiUlings to marshes. In 

 San Pedro Harbor, ]\[r. Grinuell tells us, it "frequents the wharves 

 and breakwaters, and even hops fearlessl}- about the decks of vessels, 

 feeding on crumbs and Hies." 



Subgenus Centronyx. 



Hind toe decidedly longer than inner toe ; wing- exceeding- tail by little 

 more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers narrow, sliarp pointed. 



545. Ammiodramus bairdii (And.). Baiud Si-akkow. 



Adults. — llt'ad yellowish brown or buffy. crown streaked with black 

 laterally ; back liglit V)rown. sj)otted with black, feathers with light edgings; 

 under parts wliite, throat bordered by 

 black stripes ; chest, sides, and flanks 

 streaked with bhick ; tail deeply emargi- 

 nate. tlie lat«'ral feathers longest, the 

 feathers all narrow and jminted at tip. 



Young: similar, but featliers of crown Fie. 42'2. ~ 



and back distinctly bordered with bnffy 



and streaks on chest le.ss .sharply defined. In winter the huffy color more 

 pronounced than in summer, stronglv tinpfing- chest and sides. Male: 

 leng-th (.skins) 4.SO-.5.40. wing- 2.S()-2.S<'., tail 2.().")-2.10, bill .41-.4.'}. Fe- 

 male: length (skins) 4.(i:)-4.05. wing 2.(:()-2.7<>. t.iil l.ltO-2.10. l)ill .-10-42. 



liemarks. — The feathers of tlii' members of the siibgenus Vasserculns 

 are streaked, tlie dark center of the feather being- a jiarrow shaft streak ; 

 but in A. bairdii and others of the sharp-tailed group the d.arkest part of 

 the feather instead of being a line is a wide stripe, an oval, or a terminal 

 eye spot, narrowly and cpiite uniforiuly bordered with lighter, giving- an 

 effect of S])otting- rather than stre.ikiug. 



Distribution. — Breeds from the S.iskatchfw .in plains to Nebraska and 

 migrates through Colorado. Texas. New Mexico, .and .\rizona. to northwest- 

 ern Mexico; casually westward to Washington. 



