FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 377 



GENUS SPIZA. 



604. Spiza americana (GmeL). Dickcissel. 



Bill stout, conical, compressed; wing loiig' and pointed; tarsus longer 

 than middle toe with claw. Adult iiiaU- : under parts whit- 

 ish, with variable black throat patch and yellow breast, 

 yellow sometimes deepening- to salmon in the breeding' 

 season ; wing- with deep rufous patch ; forehead, lores, 

 su2)erciliary, and malar stripe washed with yellow; head 

 and neck gray, top of head usually olivaceous ; back 

 brownish, streaked with black. Adult female : similar, 

 but duller, yellow more restricted, often wanting, except 

 on breast ; throat white, bordered by dusky .streaks ; the 

 nuile usually wanting-. Young in Jirst u-ititfr : like adult female, 

 everywhere tinged with dull buffy or clay color. , Male : length (skins) 

 5.5"M5.;3l. wing- •).! I-0.08, tail 2.1 7-2.42, bill .~)8-.()l. Female: length 

 (skins) 5.r)0-.j.T4, wing- 2.'.)4-;].U5, tail 1.1)7-2.17. bill .00-.5(). 



Distribution. — Breeds chiefly in Upper Sonoran zone of the central 

 eastern United States from the AUeghanies to the Rocky Mountains. 

 Colorado, and Wyoming-; and from Ontario south to Texas; casually 

 southwest to Arizona and Lower California ; migrates to northern Sotitli 

 America. 



Nest. — Largely of dried grasses, built near the ground in bushes or 

 low weeds, on meadows or prairies. Eggs : o to 5. plain pale blue. 



Food. — Largely grasshoppers and crickets ; also grain and weed seed. 



When ill southern Texas during the spring migration we met witii 

 flocks g" dickcissels on their wa}' to the north. In places on the 

 open prairie two or three hundred would be sitting in rows on the 

 wire fences like swallows on telegraph wires. They could be re- 

 cognized at a distance by their outlines — round heads and straight 

 hanging tails. When not in compact flocks they were scattered 

 through the chapparal singing on the tops of the bushes. .Their .song 

 had a mouthed, furry quality, but was none the less'sunny and enjoy- 

 able. Wiien they are on their breeding groimds their song is one of 

 the pleasantest features of the big grain fields. 



GENUS CALAMOSPIZA. 



605. Calamospiza melanocorys ^t<jn. Lakk IUntino. 



Bill conical, n-iuh (1cc|)ct- than broad at base, gently convex at tip and 

 base. iH^arly straight in middle ; wing about four times as long jus tarsus, 

 its tip almost truncated ; tail about three fourths as long as wing, nuich 

 more than ba.sal half overlaid by u])per coveits : slightly double-rounded 

 or nearlv even, feathers rather narrow. Adult male in summer: whole bird 

 black or slaty excejtt for white patch on wings and sometimes wliite marks 

 on t;iil feathers. Adult /'<m<di in t^umiiiir : above grayish brown, streaked 

 with bla(;kish ; wing ])at(h restricted ;ind tinged witli huffy; tail except 

 middle feathei-s spotted with white; under i)arts white, streaked on breast 

 and sides. Adult mah- in winter: similar to female, b»it wings and tail 

 blackish instead of brown, and feathers of lower parts black beneath the 

 surface and .showing through more or less; chin black. Adult female in 

 winter: like summer female, but le.s.s grayish and more bufly. Young: 



