418 



SYSTEMA TIC S YXOPSIS. — PA SSERES — OSCINES. 





ries aud greater coverts showing some black and whitish besides the bay. Tail likewise 

 strongly edged with bay, and usually showing sharp black shaft-lines. Thus well marked by 

 emphasis of black, bay, and ash. Length 5.40-5.80, usually 5.60; extent 7.50-8.00; wing 



and tail, each, 2.20-2.40. Varies lit- 

 tle except as above noted, and in ex- 

 tent aud intensity of the ash on fore 

 and under parts. In birds of the first 

 autumn, the crown may be quite 

 blackish, with little chestnut and an 

 ashy median stripe. Very young 

 birds may be conspicuously streaked 

 below, and a few streaks may persist 

 on sides of breast. Eastern N. Am., 

 W. regularly to the Great Plains, 

 casually Utah, N. to Hudson's Bay 

 and Labrador, but chiefly Eastern 

 U. S. and Canada ; breeding from 

 the N. States northward, wiuteiing 

 chiefly in the Southern States. Abun- 

 dant, but in the breeding season closely 

 confined to watery tracts, and seldom 

 seen by the profanum vulgus; a good 

 musician, like all the genus. Nesting 

 and eggs generally like those of the 





- Swamp Song Sparrow, 



reduced. (Sheppard del. 



Fig. 280 

 Nichols sc.) 



Song Sparrow, the eggs perhaps averaging a little smaller, 0.75 X 0.55, and rather coarsely 

 blotched than finely speckled with the darker colors. 31. jycilnstris of most authors, and all 

 previous editions of the Key ; but there is no doubt that this is FringiUa georgiana Lath.a.m, 

 Ind. Oru. i, 1790, p. 460, as indicated by Nuttall, Man. 2d ed. 1840, p. 588, and doubtfully 

 by Baikd, B. N. a. 18.58, p. 483. 



M. melo'dia. (Gr. fieXatia, melodia, Lat. melodia, a noun, meaning melody, or a melodious 

 song. The adj. would be meloda or melodicus. Figs. 281, 282.) Song Sparrow. Silver- 

 tongue. " Everybody's Darling." Below, white, slightly shaded with brownish on flanks 

 and crissum ; with numerous black-centred, brown- 

 edged streaks across breast and along sides, usually 

 forming a pectoral blotch and coalescing into maxil- 

 lary stripes bounding white throat ; crown dull bay, 

 with fine black streaks, divided in the middle aud 

 bounded (m either side by ashy-whitish lines ; vague 

 brown or dusky and whitish markings on sides of 

 head ; a brown postocular stripe over gray auricu- 

 lars, and another, not so well defined, from angle 

 of mouth below auriculars ; interscapular streaks 

 black, with bay and ashy-white edgings; rump and 

 cervix grayish-brown, with merely a few bay marks ; 

 wings with dull bay edgings, coverts and inner quills 

 marked like interscapulars ; tail plain brown, with 

 darker shaft-lines, on middle feathers at least, and 

 often with obsolete transverse wavy markings. Very constant in plumage, the chief differ- 

 ences being in sharpness and breadth of markings, due in part to the wear of the feathers. 

 In worn midsummer plumage, the streaking is very sharp, narrow, and black, from wearing 



- Song Spam 



Fuertes.) 



