FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 289 



Passerella iliaca Sw. 1837.— Baikd, B. N. Am. 1858, 488; Gat, N. Am. B. 1859, No. 374.— 

 CoUES.Key, 1872,147; Check List, 1874, No. 188; 2d ed. 1882, No. 282; B. N. W. 1874,160. 

 — B. B. & B. Hist. N. Am. B. ii. 1874, 59. pi. 78, hg. 2.— Kidgw. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 No. 235. 

 Fringilla ferruginea Gmel. S. N. i,1788, 921. 

 Fringilla rufa Wn-s. Am. Orn. ii, 1811, 53. pi. 22.flg. 4. 

 Hab. Nortlieru Nortli America, including Alaska (except coast from Kodiak east- 

 ward); breeding in arctic and subarctic districts, and southeastward to mouth of the St, 

 Lawrence; in winter eastern United States, chiefly south of 40°. 



"Sp. Chab. General aspect of upper parts foxy red, the ground-color and the sides 

 ot neck being ashy; the interscapular feathers each with a large blotch of fox- red; this 

 color glossing the top of head and nape, sometimes faintly, sometimes more distinctly; 

 the rump unmarked; the upper coverts and surface ot the tail continuous fox-red. Two 

 narrow white bands on the wing. Beneath, with under tail-coverts and axillars, clear 

 white; the sides of head and of throat, the juguluni, breast, and sides of body, conspicu- 

 ously and sharply blotched with fox-red; more triangular across breast, more linear 

 and darker on sides. Sometimes the entire head above is continuously reddish. First 

 quill rather less than fifth. Hind toe about equal to its claw. Length, 7.50; wing. 3.50; 

 tail, 2.90; tarsus. .87; middle toe, without claw. .67; hind claw, ,35." [Hist. N. Am. B.) 



In summer, the ash is more predominant above ; in winter, it is 

 overlaid more or less by a wash of rufous, as described above. 



Young, first plumage (="P. ohscura" Vekkill). "Color above rufous brown, becom- 

 ing bright rufous on the rump and exposed portion of the tail, but a shade darker than 

 in F. iliaca; head uniform brown, with a slight tinge ot ash ; feathers ot the back cen- 

 tred with a streak of darker brown. Wings nearly the same color as the back, with no 

 white bands; outer webs of the quills rufous, inner webs dark brown; secondary coverts 

 rufous, with dark brown centres; primary coverts uniform brown. Beneath dull white, 

 with the throat and breast thickly covered with elongated triangular spots and streaks 

 of dark reddish brown; sides streaked with rufous brown; middle of abdomen with a 

 few small triangular spots of dark brown; under tail-coverts brownish white, with a tew 

 small spots of bright rufous; the tibiae dark brown. The auriculars are tinged with red- 

 dish brown. Bristles at the base ot the bill are numerous, extending over the nostrils. 

 Tail rather long, broad, and nearly even. Third quill longest; second and fourth equal, 

 and but slightly shorter; first intermediate between the fifth and sixth, and one fourth 

 ot an inch shorter than the third. 

 "Length, 6.75; extent of wings, 10.75; wing.3,35; tarsus. 1 inch." 

 This stage is stated to be "darker in all parts; the feathers of the back are rufous 

 brown, centred with darker, instead of ash centred with brownish red; the two white 

 bands on the wing are wanting; the breast and throat are thickly streaked with elon- 

 gated spots of dark reddish brown, while in P. iliaca the spots are less numerous, 

 shorter and broader, and bright rufous, and the central part of the throat is nearly tree 

 from spots; the under tail-coverts are brownish white, with rufous spots, instead of 

 nearly pure white." 



This fine Sparrow, distinguished, as its name indicates, by its 



bright rufous coloring, is a winter resident in the southern and a 



migrant in the northern portions of the State. It inhabits the 



densest thickets where, in company with the Chewink, Cardinal, 



and other species, it passes much of its time on the ground, 



scratching among the dead leaves for its food. Its breeding 



range is essentially identical with that of the Snowbird {Jitiico 



hy emails). Those who have heard his song in his summer home 

 —19 



