CHONDESTES GEAMMACA, LARK FINCH. 



159 



Tvhiti&h. Chiu, pure white, bounded on eacli side by a sbarp maxillary lino of blaekish, 

 with a rusty-red tinge. Tn the lower throat, a large, diffuse and partially discontinu- 

 ous blotch of this same blackish-red, cutting off tbe white chiu from tbe'white of the 

 rest of the under parts, connecting with the maxillary streaks, and stretching alono- 

 the sides of the neck and breast in a series of rich dusky-chestnut streaks. On tlie 

 middle of the bieast the blotch generally runs out into the white in a sharp i)oint, but 

 its size and shape vary interminably. The markings here d- scribed are all included in 

 the jet-black hood and breast-plate ef the perlect spring dress ; and between the two 

 extremes every intermediate condition may be observed at various seasons. The rest 

 of the plumage does not differ very materially from that of the adults. Tliis is, 

 excepting Z. coronata, the largest of our Sparrows. Length, 7.00 to nearly 8.00 inches; 

 extent, n.OO or more ; wing, 3.50 ; tail, rather more; bill, along cuhneu,' 0.4.5 ; tarsus, 

 1.00 ; middle toe and claw rather less. In the fall the sexes are not distinguishable 

 by any outward mark. 



Note. — The onlj^ remaining North American species of the genus is the following : 



ZONOTKICHIA CORONATA, (Pall.) Bd. 



Emherlza coronata, Pall., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, pi. — . 



ZoHOlrichia coronata, Bo.. B. N. A. 1858, 4<il.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 18G0, 

 •201.— Heehm., p. R. R. Rep. x, 18.'9, pt. vi, 48 (breeding).— Dall & Baxx., 

 Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 18(59, 284 (Alaska).— Cool'., B. Cal. i, 1870, 197.— CoUES, Key, 

 1872, 145.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. i, 1874, 573, pi. 26, f. 1. 



EmJjcriza atricapiUa, AuD., Oru. Biog. v, 18o9, 47, pi. 394. 



FringUUi alricapiUa, Ai:d., Syn. 1839, 122; B. Am. iii, 1841, 162, pi. 193. 



FringiUa aitrocapiUa, Nctt., Man. i, 2d ed. 1840, 555. 



Zonotrichia aurocapilla, Bi>., Consp. i, 1850, 478.— Neavb., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 88. 



Hab. — Pacific coast, from Alaska to Southern California, and probably eastward to 

 the Rocky Mountains. 



CHOXDESTES GRAMMACA, (Say) Bp, 

 Lark Finch. 



FringiUa grammaca, Say, Long's Exp. i, 1823, 139.— Bp., Am. Orn. i, 1825, 47, pi. 5, f. 3,— • 

 Bp., Syn. 1828.— Nutt.. Man. i, 1832, 480.— Avo., Orn. Biog. v, 18:59, 17, pi. 390. 



Chondestcs grammaca, Bp., List, 1838, 32; Consp. Av. i, 1850, 479. — WooDii , Sitg. Rep. 

 1853, 86.- Bd., B. N. A. 18.58, 456.— Bd., Pr. Phila. Acad. Nov. 18.59 (Cape vSt. 

 Lucas).— Heei:m., P. R. R. Rep. x, 1859, part vi, 48.— Coop. &, Suck., N. H. 

 Wash. Ter. 1860,200.— VVhicat., Oliio Agric. Re]). 1860 (Ohio, tbree 8i)ecimen8). — 

 Ha YD., Rep. 1862, 166.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1859, 379 (Oaxaca).— DiiKss., Ibis, 1865, 

 488 (Texas).— Allex, Pr. E.ss. Inst, iv, 1864. 84 (Massachusetts).- iLvYX., Guide, 

 1870, 142 (Massachusetts).— Coi-ES, Pr. Phil. Acad. l.'-'66. 84 (Arizona).— Allex. 

 Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1868, 495, 517 (Iowa and Illinois).— Sc.micil, ibid. 1869, 5.52 

 (Vera Cruz, in winter). — Coues, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1K)8, 281 (Massachusetts). — 

 Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1870, 4()4.— I\Iei:u., ibid. 1872. 68O.-C00P.. B. 

 Cal. i, 1870, 103.— Allex, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, l'^r2, 177.— Hold.. Pr. Bost. S..c. 

 1872,201 (Wyoming). — Tijippe, ;/'(f/.237 (Iowa, breeding). — Sxow, B. Kaus. 1873, 

 7.— CofES, key, 1872, IK), lig. 90.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. i, 1874, 562, pi. 31, f. I- 



Hi.tberiza grammaca, Ai'D., Syn. 1K39, 101. — Aid., B. Am. iii, 1841, 63, j)l. 158. — '• Bp., 

 Am. Orn. 8^" ed. iii, 65, pi. 1.58.'"— Purx.. Pr. Ess. Inst. i. 1856, 244 (Gloucester, 

 Mass., one specimen, in 1845, a'. Jill-son). — Maxlal, J. f. O. vi, 1858, 343. 



Chondestes ntrigatua, Sw., Phil. Mag. i, 1827, 435 (Mexico). 



Flab. — Prairies and ].'ains of tlu- West, from Illinois and Iowa, &c., to the P.ieifir; 

 occasional iu Ohio; accitlental in Massachusetts. Capo St. Lucas. South into Mexico. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition.— iSiO-til, Upper Missotni River; 4822-23. Big Sioux 

 River; .5382-83, Powder River; 5384-8.5, Fort Lookout; 9JJ.--31, 92:;3-;Ui, 1938, Loup 

 Fork of Platte River; 9232, Fremont, on Platte River; 9j:!7, Sand Hills. 



Ul IV V»l X l«lt |y«J XVI * i:i , ^^ij.^, I'lUlllV^Llt, Mil J I. till Al.ltt.1 , .J^.'l , •_'.iiiv» '111.... 



Later Expedilions.—iW.VJ7, Bitter Cottonwood Creek ; Gl(>68-71, G1776, Utah ; im07, 

 Wvoi"'"" 



)ming. 



TIlis is one of the iiio.st abuiuhiiit and cliaiacU'ii.stic birds ut' tlie 



