234 APPENDIX TO OSCINES. 



ent from their usual spring notes. The position and song -^-ere sucli tbat I failed to 

 recognize the bird, and on two occasions have shot them before suspecting the trne na- 

 ture" of the case. When alarmed in this position, they drop almost perpendicularly 

 to the ground, as in the habit of the Brown Tlirush, a miniature of which, in attitude 

 and song, they seem to be. I have lieard the same song near the ground, but not often. 

 Late in January their wmter song is freely varied with passages from their well-kuowu 

 Bunmier notes, and by the first of March the peculiar notes of winter have all dis- 

 anpeared. 



Lahk Fin'CH (C. grammaca). Usually considered to find its eastern limit in Illinois, 

 is a summer resideut in this locality. I am of tlie opinion that both it and the Shrike, 

 above mentioned, are comparatively recent additions to our fauna. I first saw it in 

 1860, since which time it has increased in numbers, and at present is not uncommon. 

 It nests in meadows, and the young take to trees as soon as they are able to fiy. I sus- 

 pect, from not meeting either these birds or the Shrikes after the breeding season is 

 fairly over, that they join their comrades in the west before going south. [This spe- 

 cies has occurred in Florida (spec, in Mus. S. I.) — E. C] 



Night-Hawk {C. popetue). I have noticed, when skinning this bird, that the male, 

 in spring, exhales a strong hircine odor. If this is common to all birds of the family, 

 it may have added apparent reason to the superstition from which the family name is 

 derived. 



Chimney Swallow (C. pelasgia). No writer seems to have mentioned what mjitiy 

 have noticed in this bird, that the broad line of black extending from the nostrils along 

 the bill to the gape, across the fores, in front of and above the eyes, is composed of 

 feathers of different structure from those of the general plumage. These are short and 

 thick set, remarkably velvety both to the eye and touch. 



There is anotlier curious anomaly in this remarkable bird, which I have not seen 

 mentioned : On the under-surface of the wing a linear bare space will be noticed, 

 extending from the cari)al-joint to the base of the first primary. This seems to have 

 been caused by friction, and suggests that the bird uses the wings to assist the feet 

 and spiny tail' in clinging to the chimney-side. That certain birds do make use of 

 their wings as supports has been affirmed in the pages of the Naturalist ; but if this 

 is really the case do they not violate the law laid down for them by Owen (?), who says 

 (Anat. of Vert. vol. ii, p. 6) : "In no case do the anterior limbs (wings) take any share 

 in stationary support or prehension." 



Note. — Neither of the North American species of so-called Poospiza has occurred, to 

 my knowledge, in the Missouri region, but either may yet be found in the southwest- 

 ern portion. 



These birds seem scarcely congeneric with the type oi Poosjnza, Emhcriza nifjro-rufa, 

 D'Orbig., and, in the extreme subdivision which at present obtains, may be distin- 

 guished under the following names: 



Amphispiza, Cones, n. g. (type Eniberiza Mlineata, Cass.) 



Amphispiza bilineata, Coues. 



Emberiza Mincata, Cass., Pr. A. N. S. P. v, 1850, 104, pi. 3 (Texas) ; 111. 1854, 150, pi, 23. 

 Poospiza hUinmta, Scl., P. Z. S. 1857, 7. — Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 470; Mex. B. Surv. ii, part 



ii, 1859, Birds, 15.— Heerai., P. E. E. Eep. x, 18.59, Parke's Route, Birds, 14.— 



Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 203.— Dress., Ibis, 1865, 483 (Texas).— Coues, Pr. Phila. 



Acad. 1866, 86 (Arizona).- Coues, Key, 1872, 140.— B. B. & E., N. A. B. i, 1874, 



590, pi. 26, fig. 8. 

 Hal). — Middle Province of the United States. North 40°. South into Mexico. 



Amphispiza bellii, Coues. 



Emberiza bellii, Cass., Pr. Phila. Acad, v, 1850, 104, pi. 4 (California). 



Poospiza hcllii, Scl., P. Z. S. 1857, 7.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 470.— Heerm., P. R. R. Rep. x, 

 1859, pt. vi, 46.— CouKs, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1860, 86 (Arizona).— CooP., B. Cal. i, 

 1870, 204. — Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 177 (Ogden, Utah, var. nevadensis, 

 EiiHiw.).- Coues, Key, 1872, 141.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. i, 1874, 593, pi. 26, f. 9. 



Zonoiriehia bcUii, Elliot, B. N. A. i, pi. 14. 



Hab. — Of A. bellii proper, Southern California. Of A. bellii var. nevadensis {Ridgivay, 

 Eep. Birds 40th parallel, in press; B. B. 4- /.'., N. A. B. i, 1874, 594), Middle Province of 

 the United States, to 40^^, and somewhat beyond. 



