460 S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSFS. — PA S SERES - OSCINES. 



P. m. inegalo'uyx. (^leyaXr), me(]ale, great; ow$, omu; claw.) Spurred Towhee. The 

 prevailing form in the S. Kucky Mt. region, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Similar 

 to arcticus, but feet larger, with highly-developed claws ; hind claw decidedly longer than its 

 digit ; lateral claws reaching to or beyond middle of middle claw. In this form at any rate, 

 the 9 is hardly distinguishable in color from the ^, being slaty-blackish with an appreciable 

 olivaceous shade, thus exhibiting a decided approach to the typical Mexican stock. The note 

 is entirely dififerent from that of the eastern Towhee, being so exactly like the scolding " mew " 

 of a Catbird, that I have heard persons stoutly contend that there are Catbirds in Arizona. 

 The general habits, nest, and eggs of all these western Towhees are substantially the same as 

 those of the eastern. (P. m. magnirostris, Brewst. Auk, Apr. 1891, p. 146, is described as 

 similar to megalonyx ; but bill much larger, rufous of under parts paler, upper parts browner, 

 and tinged with olive; 9 decidedly lighter than $ : bill from nostril 0.42, its depth there 0.40. 

 Laguna, L. Cala. Not admitted in A. 0. U. List, 189.5.) 



P. m. atra'tus. (Lat. afrai«<s, blackened ; ater, black.) San Diego Towhee. Like we- 

 galonyx ; white markings more restricted; ^ black even on rump; 9 dark brown, even sooty 

 on throat and breast. Type from Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., Cal.; range ascribed from 

 southern coast region into Lower California. Ridgw. Auk, July, 1899, p. 254. 

 P. m. clemen'tis. (For etym. see under Carpodacus dementis.) San Clemente Towhee. 

 Insular form of we^fZowyx, scarcely differentiated ; slightly larger, and lighter colored ; $ about 

 like 9 megalonyx in tone of dark parts ; call note said to be different. Average dimensions of 

 $ : Length 8.65; wing 3.45; tail 4.25; tarsus 1.10; hind claw 0.53; culmen 0.55. San Cle- 

 mente Island. Not in former eds. of Key. Pipilo " clementce,''^ by error for dementis. Grin- 

 NELL, Auk, July, 1897, p. 294. P. maculatus " dementce^^ (sic!) A. 0. U. Suppl. List, Auk, 

 Jan. 1899, p. 120, No. 588 c. 



P. consobri'nus. (Lat. as adj., related, as are those who are the children of brothers or sis- 

 ters; as noun, consobrinus, a first-cousin, ^, or cotisohrina, the same, 9 ; co», with, and sobri- 

 nus for sororinus, sisterly, from soror, a sister ; originally referring only to the children of sisters.) 

 Guadalupe Towhee. An insular form, distinct from any of the foregoing, though belong- 

 ing to the same group. Coloration most nearly as in oregonus, in the reduction, restriction, or 

 extinction of the white markings in the black of the ^. Head, neck, and back black; white 

 on outer webs of scapulars usually bordered with black ; indications of white wing-bars in rows 

 of spots on ends of median and greater coverts; inner secondaries and a middle portion of pri- 

 maries with narrow and short white edgings; two or three lateral tail-feathers with short white 

 patches. Below, as usual, white with chestnut sides and buflf crissum. 9 similar, but dull 

 brownish-black where the J is black, and smaller white tail spots. Decidedly smaller than 

 the three foregoing; ^ wing 3.00-3.25 ; tail 3.50-3.75; 9 somewhat less. The dimensions 

 are the main characteristic of the species in comparison with oregonus. Guadalupe Island, 

 Lower California. P. maculatus consobrinus, Ridgw. Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr. ii. Apr. 

 1876, p. 189, and as such taken up in the 3d ed. of the Key, 1887, p. 876, after the admission 

 of Lower California and its islands to ornithological union with the North American Fauna; 

 P. consobrinus Ridgw. Bull. Nutt. Club, July, 1877, p. 60; Man. 1887, p. 437 ; A. 0. U. 

 Lists, 1st and 2d eds. 1886 and 1895, No. 589. 



(Tiroivn Toivhees : subgenus Kieneria.) 

 [P. fus'cus. (Lat. /((scifs, dark brown.) Mexican Brown Towhee. An obscure Mexican 

 stock-form, carelessly described by Swainson, to which the five following N. Am. birds are 

 probably referable as subspecies.] 



P. f. mesoleu'cus. (Gr. fitcros, mesos, middle ; 'KevKos, leucos, white ; tlie middle under parts 

 whiter than in crissalis.) Brown Towhee. Canon Towhee. ^ 9 : Above, uniform 

 grayisli-browi) with slight olivaceous shade ; crown brown in decided contrast ; wings and tail 



