FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 345 



565. Spizella atrogularis (Cab.). Black-chinned Sparrow. 



Adult male. — Throat, and ring around bill black : head, neck, and lower 

 parts gray, becoming- white on belly and under ^aj^*""*^^ °"'^'-">^>^ 

 tail coverts ; bark and scajjulars rusty brownish *^K _^^B SI^^ 



narrowly streaked with blackish ; bill pinkish ^^^(^t^^^^^^jg^^^*^'' 

 brown. Adult female : like male, but usually ^'i«- ^3^- 



with black of chin restricted, often wanting-. Young : similar, but black 

 replaced by gray, streaking on back narrower, chest indistinctly streaked. 

 Male: length (skins) 4.80-5.58, wing 2.o7-2.75, tail 2.41-2.92, bill .34-.42. 

 Female : length (skins) 4.90-5.45, wing 2.37-2.55, tail 2.83-2.75, bill .34- 

 .ov. 



Distribution. — Breeds from the desert ranges of California. Arizona, and 

 southern New Mexico south to Lower California and to southern end of 

 Mexican tablelands. 



Nest. — In bushes. Eggs : 3 to 5, plain light greenish blue. 



The black-chinned sparrow is common in Los Angeles County, 

 California, in summer, on brushy mountain sides from the base of 

 the foothills up to 7000 feet. Its song is said to resemble closely 

 that of the eastern field sparrow. 



GENUS JUNCO. 



General Characters. — Bill conical ; wing rounded, primaries exceeding 

 secondaries by much less than length of tarsus; tail double-rounded; 

 tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw ; hind claw nearly or 

 quite as long as toe. 



KEY TO ADUL,T MALES. 



1. Head black or blackish. 



2. Black of head not sharply contrasted with brown of back. 



connectens. p. 347. 

 2'. Black of head sharply contrasted with brown of back. 



3. Back dark brown oreganus, p. 347. 



3'. Back light brown. 



4. Sides of head and throat deep black . . thurberi, p. 347. 



4'. Sides of liead and throat slaty black .... pinosus, p. 348. 

 1'. Head gray or browni.sh. 

 2. Upper parts wholly gray. 



3. Wing with two wliite bars aikeiii. p. .'.45. 



3'. Wing unmarked hyenialis, p. :\M'k 



J 2'. Upper parts gray and brown. 

 3. Back bright rufous. 



4. Wing coverts and tertials rufous .... palliatus. p. .'>49. 

 4'. Wing coverts and tertials not rufous. 



5. Under ])arts iiiiitorm ashy white ... dorsalis. p. rA\l 

 5'. Under parts not a.sliy white. 



<). Sides gray caniceps, p. .349. 



() . Sides pinkish annecteiis, p. 348. 



3'. Back dull bn.wn. 



4. Sides sli-^litly piukisli montailUS. p. .■'.4S. 



4'. .Sides broadly pinkish nieariLsi. p. .■)4S. 



566. Junco aikeni Iii<lgir. \ViiiTi:-wiN<;Kr> .Irxco. 



Adult male. — Kntiie body almost uniform /ii/ht slaty grai/ except for 



