206 



SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



slender; tarsus rather longer tluin tlic mil 1<1U> toe ; tlie himl toe a little longer than the 

 outer lateral, which slightly exeeeds the inner ; the outer claw reaching the base of the 

 middle one, and half as long as its toe. Claws moderately em-ved. Tertiaries and sec- 

 ondaries nearly equal ; wing somewhat pointed, reaching not quite to the middle of the 



6'. monticola. 



tail. First quill a little shorter than second anil equal io the fifth ; third longest. Tall 

 rather long, moderately forked, and divaricated at the tij) ; the feathers rather narrow. 

 Back streaked ; ruuqi and beneath immaculate. Hood generally unitbrm. 



One species of this genus {S. inisilla, the field sparrow), which is not found 

 on this side of the mountains, visits the Atlantic States in summer. It is, 

 however, closely aUied to our S. Brcivcri, which replaces it in our fauna. 



Spizella monticola, Gmelin. 



THE MOUNTAIN OR TEEE-SPAEEOW. 



Fringilla monticola, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I. 912, 1788. — Siiizilla monticola, Baird, P. R. Bep. 



IX. Birds, 472. — Kexnerly, X. iv. 29. — Cooi'EK and Sucklev, XII. iii. Zuol. of W. 



T. 20.'3. 

 Fringilla Canadensis, Latii.im, Iiulcx drn. I. 1790, 434. — Nuttall, Man. I. 2J eil. 572. — 



Emberiza Canadensis, SwAiNsoN, Fauna Bor. Am. II. 1831, 252. — Audubon, Birds 



Amer. HI. 1841, 83; pi. 16G. 

 Fringilla arborea, Wilson, Am. Orn. II. 1810, 12 ; pi. xii. f. 3. 



Sp. Char. jNIiddle of back with the feathers dark brown centrally, tlicii rutinis, and 

 edged with pale fulvous (sometimes with whitish). Hood and U])per i)art of nape con- 

 tinuous chestnut ; a line of the same behind the eye. Sides of head and neck ashy. A 

 broad liiiht superciliary band. Beneath whitish, with a small circular blotch of brownish 

 in the middle of the upjjcr part of the breast. Edges of tail feathers, primary quills, and 

 two bands across the tips of the secondaries, white. Tertiaries nearly black ; edged exter- 

 nally with rufous turning to white near the tips. Length, 6.25 ; extent, 9.00 ; wing, 3.00. 

 Iris brown ; bill black ; lower mandible yellow. 



