UIKDS — FRINGILLIUAE — MELOSPIZA rALU-'^TKlS. 



483 



MELOSriZA PALUSTKIS, B a i r d . 

 Swamp Sparrow. 



FringUta palustrU, Wilsok, Am. Oni. Ill, ISII, 49; pi. x.tii, f. 1.— Auoijbon, Orii. Biog. I, 1831, 331 : V, 508; 



pi. 64. 

 rringiUa {SpUa) palustria, Bonap. Obs. Wilton, 1825, No. 105. 

 PiissircuUis paliislris, Bonap. List, 1838.— Id. Conspectus, 1850, 481. 

 .iiiimoi/roimu ;)o/uj(r«, Ai'D. Syn. 1839.— Ib. Birds Amor. Ill, 1841, 110; pi. 175. 



? fViiifiV/n georgiana, Lath. Indux Orn. I, 1790, 460. (May Peuccca aesiiiiaiis.)- Licm. Verz. 1823, No. 251. 

 Fringitia (.Immodromus) gcorgiana, Nltt. Man. I, 2d ed. 1840, 588. 

 Sp. Cii.— Middle of the crown uniform cliestnot ; forehead black ; superciliary streak, side* of head and back and sides of 

 neck, ash. A brown stripe behind tlie eye. Back broadly streaked with black. Beneath whitish, tinged with ashy anteriorly, 

 especially across the breaat, and washed with yellowish brown on the sides. A few obsolete streaks across tlie breast, wliich 

 become distinct on iu sides. Wings and tail strongly tinged with rufous ; the tortials black, the rufous edgings changing 

 abruptly to white towards the end. Length, 5.75; wing, 2.40 inches. 



Female with the crown scarcely reddish streaked witli black, and divided by a light line. 

 Httb. — Extern United States from the Atlantic to the Missouri. 



In autumn tlie male of this species has the feathers of the crown each with a black streak ; 

 and the centre of the crown with an indistinct light stripe, materially changing, its appearance. 



The forehead is usually more or less streaked with black. 



A supposed young of this species from the Missouri plains has the head above nearly uniform 

 blackish ; the back pale yellowish brown streaked conspicuously with black, the under parts 

 dirty white, the breast and sides distinctly streaked with black. 



In the uncertainty whether the Fringilla georgiana of Latham bo not rather the Feucaea 

 aestivalis than the swamp sparrow, I think it best to retain Wilson's name. It certainly 

 applies as well to the latter, which has the black sub-maxillary streak, and the chin and 

 throat more mouse colored than in palusti-is. 



List of specimens. 



CataX. Sex. 

 No. 



Locality. 



When collected.' Whence obtained. 



Carllde, Pa Oct. 17,1842 



do May 13, 1841 



do Oct. 17,1842 



do Oct. 3, 1842 



May 2, 1843 



Union county, HI April 20, 1857 



Vermilion river, Neb. . ... .. 



S. F. Baird. 

 do.... 



-do. 

 .do. 



-do. 



N. W. University. 

 Lt. G. K. Warren . 



Collected by- 



R. Kennicott. 

 Dr. Hay den.. 



Length. 



5.25 

 5.50 

 6.00 

 5.58 

 5.67 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



5.62 



7.75 

 7.50 

 8.00 

 8.00 

 8.83 



7.75 



Wing. 



2.33 



2.42 

 2.42 

 2.42 



2.50 



