210 U. S. p. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



with j'ellow ; beneath pale, variegated with black. Tail rufous. Rump rufous yellow, with 

 transverse brown bands. Wings sparsely dotted. Breast white, with transverse bands of 

 black. Length to the rump, 3^ inches ; tail, 2 inches 7 lines ; wing, 3 inches 5 lines. Kodiak." 

 The Tardus aonalaschha of Gmelin, based on a bird the " size of a lark, crown and back brown, 

 marked with obscure dusky sjiots ; breast yellow, spotted with black ; wing coverts, prime 

 quills, and tail dusky, edged with testaceous ; hab. Aonalaschka, cabinet of Sir Joseph Banks," 

 of Latham and Pennant might possibly refer to a young bird of the present species ; but in the 

 entire uncertainty in the case, and the possibility of their having some one of the similarly 

 colored American sparrows before them, it may be best to retain Mr. Audubon's name. 



SYNOPSIS OF SUB-GENERA AND SPECIES. 



ToRDUS. — Tarsi elongated, considerably longer than the middle toe ; the scutellae not 

 distinguishable. Tail feathers acuminate. Bill distinctly notched. Above plain olive or 

 reddish, beneath white ; the breast spotted. 



Rufous brown above, much brightest towards the head, becoming olivaceous on the tail ; 

 pure white beneath, thickly spotted on the whole breast and sides with blackish. 



mustelinvs. 



Yellowish olive above, becoming decidedly rufous on the rump and tail. Beneath white, 



scarcely more yellow anteriorly ; breast with well defined spots like the back. Tibiae 



and sides yellowish olive brown .pallasii. 



Similar to the last, but smaller ; the under parts purer white ; the tibiae and sides 



grayish olive brown nanus. 



Similar to pallasii, but larger ; the back greenish, not yellow olive, passing into reddish 



on the tail silens. 



Above uniform yellowish red ; throat and jugulum decidedly yellowish, the latter with 



very obsolete spots fuscescens. 



Similar to the last, but more yellow olivaceous above, and the jugulum distinctly marked 



with spots like the back ustidalus. 



Above greenish olive, not appreciably lighter on the tail. Sides of the head with the 

 breast and throat strongly tinged with reddish yellow, and a ring of the same round 



the eye. Breast with very distinct spots of dark brown swainsonii. 



Above greenish olive, not appreciably lighter on the tail. Sides of the head ashy ; ring 

 round the eye, with the thro.at, and breast white. Breast with very distinct spots 



of dark brown, almost black aliciae. 



Planisticus. — Body stout ; tarsi not much longer than the middle toe, the scutellae somewhat 

 visible on the inside below. Tail feathers rather truncate. Bill distinctly notched. Above 

 plain olive ; throat and chin alone white, streaked with black ; breast rufous. 



Above grayish olive ; top of head and the tail blackish. Beneath reddish brown ; the 



anal region and crissum, with eyelids, white migratoriua. 



IxoREUS. — Bill slender, elongated, nearly as long as the head ; commissure curved ; tip 

 without any notch. Scutellae not distinguishable. Claws larger than in I'lanislicus. First 

 primary about one-fourth the longest. Tail feathers acuminate. Throat and under parts 

 entirely unspotted. 



Above dark plumbeous ; beneath reddish brown, with a pectoral band of black ; wings 

 varied with reddish brown, and a strijte of the same behind the eye naeviua. 



