FRINGILLID.E: FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS. 395 



cutting edges ; a palatal kiiol). Culineii slightly curved ; gouys perfectly straight, and very 

 short, less in length than width of bill ; lower mandible heavier than upper. A dense nasal 

 rutf. Wings very long and pointed ; 1st or 1st and 2d quills longest, rest rapidly graduated. 

 Tail |- shorter than wings, nearly square. Tarsus longer than middle toe without claw; lateral 

 toes of subeqnal lengths, and much shorter than middle one. Claws slender and compressed, 

 witli deep lateral grooves at base ; hind claw lengthened and less curved than the rest, but not 

 straiglit. Gullet very distensible. Sexes alike. Colors very different with season ; in sum- 

 mer $ entirely black and white. Terrestrial, gregarious ; nest on the ground ; eg<^s colored. 

 One species of circumpolar distribution, and another peculiar to Arctic America. (Plectro- 

 phanes of all former eds. of the Key.) 



Analysis of Species and Subspecies. 

 Adults in summer with black on more tliau middle pair of tail-featliers, and much black on the back and wings. 



Smaller ; bUl about 0.40 along culmeu nivalis 



Larger; bill about 0.50 along culmeu. Alaska only nivalis toxcnsendi 



Adult (^ in summer with black on tail reduced to spots on two middle feathers, and back wliite ; $ with only 4 tail- 

 feathers black, and back only streaked with black. Alaska only hyperboreus 



ni,r, mvis, snow. 



LAKE. WhITEBIRI 



Figs. 261, 202.) 

 . rT, in full dress 



Snow Bunting. 

 Pure white; bill, 



P. niva'lis. (Lat. nivalis, snowy 

 Snow Lark. Snowbird. Snow 

 feet, middle of back, scap- 

 ulars, primaries except at 

 base, most inner second- 

 aries, bastard quills, and 

 several tail-feathers, black. 

 Length about 7.00; ex- 

 tent 12.50-13.00; wing 

 4.00-4.25; tail 2.50-2.75. 

 In less perfect summer 

 dress, black of back, inner 

 secondaries and tail-feath- 

 ers varied with white. 9 • 

 in breeding plumage : The 

 black impure or brownish, 

 and most or all upper 

 parts brownish-black, va- 

 ried with white. Rather 

 smaller. Dimensions of 

 many specimens of both 

 .><exes: Length 50-7.00 ; 

 extent 12.00-13.00; wing 

 4.00-4.25; tail 2.50-2.75 ; 

 bill 0.40; tarsus 0.80; 

 middle toe and claw 0.90 ; hind toe and claw 0.07-0.75 ; claw alone 0.33-0.44. Adults, in 

 winter, as generally seen in the U. S. (where black-and-white birds are rarely if ever found) : 

 Upper parts overcast with rich warm chestnut-brown and grayish-brown, mixed with black 

 of back, and clouding other upper parts which are white in summer, becoming dusky or even 

 blackish on head ; this brown also usually forming a patch on ears, a collar on breast, edging 

 of inner wing- and tail-feathers, and a wash on flanks ; but specimens vary interminably ; other 

 parts white or black as in summer; bill yellowish, usually black-tipped, but drying reddish- 

 brown. Fledglings : Dark ashy-gray above and on fore parts below. 



Fig. 2G1 . — Snow Bunting, winter plumage. 



this coh)r overlaid with 



