442 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES — OSCINES. 



markings becomes evident, and there is little variation afterward with age, sex, or season. A 

 beautiful species, abundant from the Great Plains to the Great Lake region, in the Mississippi 

 Valley at large, Texas to Ontario, and irregularly or casually farther East, even in various 

 Atlantic localities from Massachusetts to Florida. A sweet songster; breeds throughout its 

 regular range ; nest usually on ground, of dried grass ; eggs 4-7, white, with straggling zig- 

 zag dark lines, as in many Icteridte ; size 0.75-0.85 X about 0.65. 



C. g. striga'tus. (Lat. strigatus, striped, marked with strigcea, stripes.) Western Lark 

 Sparrow. Quite like the last ; averaging paler or dingier, with duller chestnut on head, and 

 narrower black streaks on back ; wings and tail rather longer. Length 6.50-7.25 ; wing 3.50 

 or rather more; tail 2.75-3.25. Plains to the Pacific, U. S. and adjoining British Provinces, 

 S. through L. Gala, and Mexico to Guatemala. C grammica of previous 

 eds. of the Key includes this form, which I have hitherto declined to recog- 

 nize. C. strigatus Sw. 1827; C. grammaca strigata Ridgw. 1880; C. 

 grammacus strigatus A. 0. U. Lists, 1886 and 1895, No. 552 a. 

 PASSEREL'LA. (Ital. diminutive form of Lat. passer, a sjjarrow.) 

 Fox Sparrows. Remarkable for size of feet and claws: lateral toes 

 elongated to about equal degree ; ends of their claws reaching about half- 

 \ way to end of middle claw ; claws all very large ; middle toe and claw 



Fig. 298. —Bill of about as long as tarsus. Wings long and pointed, folding about to middle 

 Fox Sparrow, nat. of tail ; point formed by 2d-4th quills, 1st and 5th little shorter. Tail 

 moderate, little rounded or nearly even. Bill strictly conic, with straiglit 

 outlines and scarcely angulated commissure, very variable in size. Large handsome reddish or 

 slate-colored species, marked below with triangular spots and streaks of the color of the back. 

 Habits terrestrial and somewhat rasorial. Nest indifferently in trees or bushes or on ground ; 

 eggs greenish, fully speckled. The species, if more than one, are, like those of Junco, Melo- 

 spiza, Peuccea, Pijnlo, etc., still imperfectly differentiated. 



Analysis of Subspecies. 



Tail decidedly shorter than wing. General coloration foxy or ferruginous. Two whitish wing-bars well marked. 



Eastern (chiefly) iliaca 



Tail about equal to wing. General coloration ruddy olive. Wing-bars obsolete. Pacific coast region i. unnlasceiisis 

 Tail little or not shorter than wing. General coloration slaty olive. Markings of upper parts obsolete. 



Bill moderate, 0.30 deep at base. Rocky Mt. region i. sc/iistarea 



Bill immoderate, 0.40 deep at base. Mts. of California v. :iie;;nr/ii/nc/ia 



Bill enormous, 50 deep at base. Mts. of California i. stephensi 



P. ili'aca. (Lat. iliaca, relating to the ilia, or flanks, which are conspicuously marked. 

 Figs. 298, 299.) Eastern Fox Sparrow. Foxy Finch. Ferruginous Finch. Fox- 

 tail. (J 9 '• General color above ferruginous or rusty-red, purest and brightest on rump, 

 tail, and wings, on other upper parts appearing in streaks laid on an ashy ground. Below, 

 white, variously but thickly marked except on belly and crissum with rusty-red — the mark- 

 ings anteriorly in the form of diffuse confluent blotches, on breast and sides consisting chiefly 

 of sharp arrow-heads and pointed streaks. Tips of middle and greater wing-coverts forming 

 two whitish bars. Upper mandible dark, lower mostly yellow; feet pale. One of the finest 

 singers of the family ; quite unlike any other Eastern Sparrow. A large handsome species: 

 Length 6.50-7.25; extent 10.50-11.50; wing 3.25-3.60, averaging 3.40 ; tail little or not over 

 3.00, thus decidedly shorter than wing ; bill, along culmen, 0.40 ; tarsus 0.90 ; hind claw about 

 0.35. Sexes alike, and young not particularly different after first moult, though in an early 

 stage much darker; back rufous-brown with darker streaks; no wing- bars; all under parts 

 heavily marked. There is much individual variation in color, independently of age, sex, or 

 season. Eastern N. Am.; W. in tlie U. S. regularly only to the edge of the Plains, occasion- 



