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



JUNCO OREGONUS, Sclater. 



Oregon Snow Bird. 



Fringilla oregona, Toivnsend, J. A. N. Sc. VII, 1837, 188 — Ib. Narrative, 1839, 345. — Audubon, Orn. Biog. V, 



1839, 68; pi. 398. 

 SlniAus oregonus, Boa . List, 1838. — Ib. Consp. 1850,475. — Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. 



R. VI, IV, 1857, 88. 

 Jfiphoea oregona, AvDVBOt;, Synopsis, 1839, 107 — Ib. Birds Amcr. Ill, 1841, 91; pi. 1G8. — Cab. Mus. Hein. 



1851, 134. 

 Junco orcgonus, Sclater, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1857, 7. 

 Fringilla Imdsonia, Licht. Beit. Faun. Cal. in Abli. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, for 1838, 1839, 424. (Not F. Uudsonia, 



Forster.) 

 " Fringilla atrala, Brandt, Icon. Rosso-As. tab. ii, f. 8." (Cab.) 



Sp. Ch.— Head and neck all round sooty black ; this color extending to the upper part of the breast, but not along the sides 

 under the wings. Interscapular region of the back and exposed surface of the wings dark rufous brown. A lighter tint of the 

 same on tlie sides of breast and belly. Rump brownish ash. Outer two tail feathers white; tlie third with only an obscure 

 streak of white. Length, about G.50 inches; wing, 3.00. 



Hab. — Pacific coast of the United States to the eastern side of the Rocky mountains. Stragglers as far cast as Fort Leaven- 

 worth in winter and Great Bend of Missouri. 



In this species the wing is rather pointed ; the second and third quills equal, and longest ; 

 the fourth appreciably shorter ; the first intermediate between the fourth and fifth. 



Oregon specimens have the back of a darker rufous than California ones, in which this region, 

 as well as the sides of the body are considerably paler. 



Immature, and most winter specimens do not have the black of the head and neck so well 

 defined, but edged above more or less with the color of the back ; below with light ashy. 



The Oregon snow bird in full plumage is readily distinguishable from the eastern species by 

 the purer white of the belly ; the more sharply defined outline of the black of the head passes 

 directly across the upper part of the breast, and is even convex in its posterior outline, without 

 extending down the side of the breast, with its posterior outline strongly concave, as in 

 hyemalis. The absence of black or ashy brown under the wings, with the rufous tinge, are 

 highly characteristic of oregonus. The head and neck are considerably blacker ; the rufous of 

 the back and wings does not exist in the other. The wings and quills are more pointed ; the 

 second quill usually longest, instead of the third, &c. The dusky of the throat reaches in S. 

 oregonus only to the upper part of the breast ; to its middle region in hyemalis. 



