396 S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSFS. — PA S SERES — OSCINES. 



brown, aud streaked on back with dusky; below, from breast, white; hiteral tail-feathers 

 mostly white; iuuer secondaries black with brown edging. The Snowflake is a good ex- 

 ample of what I call aptosochromatism, or 

 ""^ ^ , ' X f change of color wnthout moult ; for the pure 



black-and-white coloration is acquired in 

 spring by the wearing away of the edges of 

 the brown featiiers; this brown being confined 

 to the surface of the plumage, the deeper parts 

 of which are black or white. It is a notable 

 bird, inhabiting the N. hemisphere, breed- 

 ing in arctic and subarctic regions, whence 

 migrating south in vast flocks with the snow, 

 as if one with those pure crystallizations. 

 Thousands whirl into the U. S. in the fall on 

 Fig. 262. -Snow Buntmg,m summer, reduced. (.Shep- thewiugs of the storm, relieving by their 

 pard del. Nichols so.) animated presence the desolation of places 



exposed to the fury of the blast. South regularly only to the Northern States, but often roving 

 flocks reach 35°. Nest on ground in sphagnum and tussocks of arctic regions, of a great quan- 

 tity of grass and moss, lined profusely with feathers : eggs 4-6, very variable in size and color, 

 about 0.90 X 0.65, white or whitish, speckled, veined, blotched, and marbled with deep browns 

 and neutral tints. 



P. n. town'sendi. (To C. H. Towusend.) Pribilof Snow Bunting. Townsend's 

 Snowflake. Like the last ; averaging larger, with heavier bill. $ : Wing 4.50 ; tail 3.00 ; 

 bill 0.50; 9 not quite so large as this, but exceeding average size of P. nivalis proper. 

 Pribilof and Aleutian Islands, Alaska; Commander Islands, Kamtschatka. Plectrophenax 

 nivalis townsendi Ridgw. Man. 1887, p. 403; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. J 895, p. 220, No. 534 o; 

 Plectrophanes nivalis townsendi Coues, Key, 4th ed. 1890, p. 899; Passerina n. townsendi 

 A. 0. U. Suppl. List, Auk, Jan. 1899, p. 117. 



P. hyperbor'eus. (Lat. hyperhoreus, hyperborean. Fig. 263.) Polar Sno^v Bunting. 

 McKay's Snowflake. Adult ^, in breeding dress: Pure white, except tips of wings, which 

 are black for about 1.50, one or two black touches on inner secondaries, and a subterminal 

 black spot on middle tail-feather ; white edging of black part of wings ; bill and feet black. 

 In winter: washed with rusty brown ou head, nape, back, rump, and across breast; bill yel- 

 lowish, with dusky tip. The full plumaged ? is less extensively white than $, having more 

 black ou wiugs and tail, and back also streaked with black ; seasonal changes are corre- 

 spondent. Larger than P. nivalis: $ averaging over 7.00; extent over 13.00 ; wing 4.60; 

 tail 3.10 ; bill 0.45 ; tarsus 0.90. 9 less, about as large as $ P. nivalis. A beautiful Snow- 

 flake, apparently quite distinct from the foregoing. Pacific coast of Alaska in winter ; known 

 to breed on Hall Island in Bering Sea. Plectrophenax hyperhoreus Eidgw. Proc U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. vii, June, 1884, p. 68; Man. 1887, p. 403 ; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, p. 221, No. 535; 

 Plectrophanes hyperhoreus Coues, Key, 3d and 4th eds. 1887 aud 1890, p. 873; Passerina 

 hyperborea A. 0. U. Suppl. List, Auk, Jan. 1899, p. 117. 



CALCA'RIUS. (Lat. calcar, a spur ; in plural calcaria, from calx, genitive calcis, tlie heel ; 

 i.e., the hind claw lengthened and straightened.) LoNGSPURS. Characters oi Passerina ; 

 hind claw and its digit more developed, longer than middle ; bill relatively and absolutely 

 larger, rather " friugilline " than thoroughly "emberizine," but still with a palatal knob; no 

 decided nasal ruff, but antrorse plumules in nasal fossse ; a little tuft at base of rictus. Wings 

 less acute, the point formed by lst-3d primai'ies, 4th abruptly shorter ; tail emarginate. Sexes 

 very unlike : ^ with black liood and chestnut cervical collar. Gregarious, terrestrial ; nest 

 on the ground; eggs 3-6, colored. (Centrophanes of former eds. of the Key; but Calcarius 

 has priority.) 



