446 



S YS TEMA TIC S YXOPSTS. — PA SSERES — OSCINES. 



ciliary stripe. Wings dusky, with a large white or whitish speculum, much as in ^, but not 

 so pure nor so extensive ; inner secondaries edged with brown and white. Tail-feathers, the 

 middle excepted, blackish tipped with white. Young ^ like 9 > hut colors more suffuse and 

 brighter; upper parts pure brown; under parts tinged with fulvous; wing-markings quite ful- 

 vous ; under surface of wing quite blackish. In very young birds the markings more motley 

 than streaky ; feathers of the upper parts edged with pale buff; bill brownish, flesh-colored 

 below. ^ wears the black plumage only during the breeding season, like the Bobolink ; when 

 changing, the characters of the two sexes are confused. The change of the adult ^ from a 

 winter plumage resembling that of the 9 to the full breeding dress is accomplished by apto- 

 sochromatism — that is, without moulting ; for the black comes to the surface by the wearing 

 away of light tips and edgings of the feathers, as in the Bobolink. In form of bill, this inter- 

 esting species is closely allied to Grosbeaks ; and this, with the singularly enlarged secondaries, 

 as long as the primaries in the closed wing, renders it unmistakable in any plumage. A 

 prairie bird, abundant on the Great Plains ; N. to 49° at least, in the Missouri and Milk River 

 region, and beyond, in Manitoba and Assiniboia ; W. to the Rocky Mts., and in the winter to 

 Southern and Lower California ; S. in Mexico to Guanajuato; accidental in New York, Mas- 

 sachusetts, and S. Carolina. The male has a habit of soaring and singing on wing like a 

 Lark ; nest on ground, sunken flush with the surface, of grasses ; eggs 4-5, 0.90 X 0.65, pale 

 bluish ; normally unmarked, occasionally speckled. C. hicolor of all previous eds. of the Key, 

 after Fringilla hicolor Tow'ns. 1837 ; name changed on account of there being already a 

 FringiUa hicolor Lixn. 1766, which is an entirely different bird, now known as Exetheia 

 hicolor. C. melanocori/s Stej. Auk, Jan. 1885, p. 49; A. 0. U. Lists, 1st and 2d eds. 

 1886-95, No. 605. 



SPI'ZA. (Gr. a-TTiCa, spiza, a kind of Finch, probably F. coelebs.) SiLK Buntings. Bill 

 much as in Calamospiza, but longer fur its depth and not so strongly angulated. Wings very 

 long and pointed ; 2d primary usually longest, 1st and 3d little shorter, 4th and rest rapidly 

 graduated ; one inner secondary a little elongated, but not nearly reaching point of wing. Tail 

 short, nearly even, but a little emargiuate. Tarsus and middle toe and claw of about equal 



lengths ; lateral toes of nearly ecpial lengths, not 

 reaching base of middle claw; hind toe with claw 

 as long as middle toe without claw. 

 S. ameriea'na. (Lat., of America. Fig. 302.) 

 Black-throated Bunting. $ : Above, gray- 

 ish-brown ; middle of back streaked with black ; 

 hind neck ashy, becoming on crown yellowish-olive 

 with black touches. A yellow superciliary line, and 

 maxillary touch of the same ; eyelid white ; ear- 

 coverts ashy like cervix ; chin white ; throat with 

 a large jet-black patch. Under parts in general 

 white, shaded with gray on sides, extensively tinged 

 with yellow on breast and belly. Edge of wing 

 yellow ; lesser and middle coverts rich chestnut, 

 other coverts and inner secondaries edged with paler. 

 Bill dark horn-blue; feet brown. Length 6.00- 

 7.00; extent 10.50-11.00; wing 3.25-3..50, sharp- 

 pointed ; tail 2.30-2.75, emarginate. 9 '■ Snialler ; 

 wing under 3.00, etc. ; above, like J, but head and neck plainer; below, less tinged with 

 yellow ; black throat-patch wanting, replaced by sparse sharp maxillary and pectoral streaks ; 

 wing-coverts not chestnut, though so indicated by rufous edgings of individual feathers. 

 Young ^ : Larger than 9, but in general similar; throat-patch indicated by blackish 



^^1^ fW' 



Fio ,302 — BHck tliroited Bunting, reduced 

 ISheppard del. NicliuU sc ) 



