410 



S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — PA S SERES — OSCINES. 



of grasses, rather large fur the size of the bird, and often somewhat domed or arched over ; 

 eggs 4-5, sometimes only 3, 0.72 X O.GO, crystal white, flecked with reddish-brown, iu which 

 markings a few neutral tints or blackish specks may also appear. Coturniculus imsseriniis of 

 all previous editions of the Key, as of most American writers ; but our Yellow- winged Sparrow 

 proves to be only a subspecies of that which inhabits some of the West Indies, and was origi- 

 nally described from Jamaica as the savanna bird by Sloane, Nat. Hist, ii, p. 306, pi. 259, 

 whence Fringilla savannarum Gm. 1788. This record, in connection with reduction of Cotur- 

 niculus to a subgenus of Ammodramus, explains the name which I now adopt, following the 

 A. 0. U. List, No. 546. 



A. (C.) s. perpal'lidus. (Lat. perpaUidus, very pale.) Bleached YELLOW-wixdED 

 Sparrow. Western Grasshopper Sparrow. Very similar to tlie last ; size the same ; 

 coloration paler and grayer; less black and more slaty- gray on upper parts; ochrey crown- 

 stripe and edgings of dorsal feathers, as well as under parts generally, paler. Western U. S., 

 Plains to the Pacific, S. to Mexico and Cape St. Lucas. Coturniculus passerinus perpallidus 

 CouES, Key, 1872, p. 137, and of all later eds. ; Ammodramus savannarum perpallidus 

 RiDGW. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, p. 355; Man. 1887, p. 411 ; Ammodramus (^Cotur- 

 niculus) savannarum p)erpallidus A. 0. U. Lists, 1886 and 1895, No. 546 a. 



A. (C.) hen'slowi. 

 HOPPER Sparrow. 



(To Prof. J. S. Henslow, of England. Fig. 273.) Henslow's Grass- 

 Somewhat resembling a yomui Yellow-winged Sparrow. Adult $ 9 • 

 Under parts whitish, tinged strongly along 

 whole sides, across breast, and on tianks and 

 crissum, with buff, all these buff parts sharply 

 and distinctly streaked with blackish in fine 

 pattern ; pectoral streaks connecting along sides 

 of neck with decided black maxillary stripes. 

 The brownish -yellow shade is very variable in 

 extent and intensity, but it usually leaves only 

 throat and belly decidedly whitish. Ground- 

 color of head and hind neck peculiar pale olive- 

 gray, with decided greenish -yellow tinge : top 

 of head with broad lateral blackish strijjes, 

 continued on cervix in much smaller pattern, 

 divided by a greenish-brownish-yellow niedian 

 stripe. The peculiar color of hind neck extend- 

 ing far around on sides of neck, and sides of 

 head of much the same tint; a blackish post- 

 ocular stripe bounding auriculars above ; below 

 and anterior to them a black maxillary stripe 

 starting from angle of mouth ; below this usu- 

 ally other maxillary streaks ; dark specks often 

 behind auriculars. Dorsal and scapular feath- 

 ully chestnut, then mostly narrowly edged with 

 contrasting with peculiar greenish-gray cervical 

 region with its fine black streaks. Edge of wing yellow. Greater wing-coverts and most 

 secondaries colored to correspond with back, the closed wing showing chiefly chestnut with 

 black field of three innermost secondaries. Tail-feathers extremely narrow and acute, brown, 

 the inner at least with long blackish sliaft-stripe, and reddish-brown on inner webs. Bill 

 brownish, usually quite dusky above, pale below; feet pale. Length 5.00; extent 7.50; M-ing 

 and tail, each, 2.00-2.10; bill from extreme base of culmen 0.45; 0.30 deep at base: tarsus or 

 middle toe and claw 0.65. Young resemble the adults sufticicntly to be unmistakable, but are 



Fig. 273. — Henslow's Grasshopper Sparrow. 



ers with broad black central field, then bro 

 whitish, these markings in bold pattern, and 



