366 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEEES^ OSCINES. 



extent 8.00-8.50; wing 2 25-2.50; tail 2.00 or less, shorter than wing, outstretched feet 

 ri'aehing beyond it; rounded or rather double-rounded at end, the feathers narrow and lance- 

 olate. Bill very stout and full. In autumn, fresh-inoulted birds are as usual richer in color, 

 the markings more blended and diffuse, the fore parts below and the sides rich buffy brown, in 

 which vague lighter and darker markings usually appear. Young: before the moult, are 

 whitish below, with decided dusky maxillary and pectoral streaks, thus resembling C. hensloivi. 

 Eastern U. S. and Canada, but not far north ; breeds throughout its range ; resident in the 

 Soutliern States, elsewhere a migrant and summer visitant. Abundant in the rank herbage of 

 old fields, but less frequently observed than it would be did it not hide so j)orsistently in the 

 herbage; has a peculiar chirring note, like a grasshopper's; nests on the ground; eggs 4-5, 

 crystal white, flecked with reddish-brown, 0.72 x 0.64. 



235. C. p. perpal'lidus. (Lat. perpalUdus, very pale.) Bleached Yellow-w^inged Sparrow. 

 Specimens from dry western regions are paler and grayer; less black and more slaty-gray 

 on the upper parts, the ochrey crown stripe and edgings of the dorsal feathers, as well as the 

 under parts generally, paler. 



S36. C. hen'slowi. (To Prof. J. S. Henslow, of England.) Henslow^'s Grasshopper Sparrow. 

 Somewhat resembling a young C- passerinus. Under parts whitish, tinged strongly along the 

 whole sides, across the breast, and on the flanks and crissum with bufi', all these bufi" parts 

 sharply and distinctly streaked with blackish in fine pattern ; the pectoral streaks connecting 

 along the sides of neck with decided black maxillary stripes. The brownish-yellow shade is 

 very variable in extent and intensity, but it usually leaves only the throat and belly decidedly 

 whitish. Ground-color of head and hind neck a peculiar pale olive-gray, with a decided 

 greenish-yellow tinge ; top of head with broad lateral blackish stripes, continued on the cervix 

 in much smaller pattern, divided by a greenish-brownish-yellow median stripe. The peculiar 

 color of the hind neck extendhig far around on sides of neck, and sides of head of much the 

 same tint ; a blackish post-ocular stripe bounding the auriculars above ; below and anterior to 

 them a black maxillary stripe starting from the angle of the mouth ; below this usually other 

 maxillary streaks ; dark specks often behind auriculars. Dorsal and scapular feathers with 

 broad black central field, then broadly chestnut, then mostly narrowly edged with whitish, 

 these markings in bold pattern, and contrasting with the peculiar greenish-gray cervical region 

 with its fine black streaks. Edge of wing yellow. Greater wing-coverts and most of the 

 secondaries colored to con-espond with the back, the closed wing showing chiefly chestnut with 

 the black field of the three innermost secondaries. Tail-feathers extremely narrow and acute, 

 brown, the inner at least with long blackish shaft stripe, and reddish-brown on inner webs. 

 Bill brownish, usually quite dusky above, pale below; feet pale. Length scarcely 5.00; 

 extent 7.50; wing and tail, each, 2.00-2.10; bill from extreme base of culmenO.45 ; 0.30 deep 

 at base; tarsus or middle toe and claw 0.65. Eastern U. S., strictly, N. to New England, 

 not very commonly ; W. to Nebraska. Not abundant on the whole, nor easily observed. 

 Common about Washington, where it breeds, in fields and meadows; nest on the ground, in 

 tufts of grass. Eggs 4-5, greenish- white, profusely speckled with reddish, 0.75 X 0.57. 



237. C. lecon'tii. (To Maj. J. Le Conte, of Philadelphia.) Le Conte's Grasshopper Sparroav. 

 Le Conte's Bunting. <J 9 , adult : Bill smaller and slenderer than in either of the foregoing, 

 dark horn-blue above, paler bluish below ; iris black. Tail long, decidedly exceeding the 

 wings when full grown, and remarkably graduated ; lateral feathers i-i inch shorter than the 

 central pair ; all extremely narrow, tapering, and acuminate, even more so than in the sharp- 

 tailed finch [Ammodramus caudacutus) ; outstretched feet not reaching to its end. Wings 

 short and much rounded; primaries in closed wing hardly i inch longer than secondaries. 

 Length 4.90-5.10; extent 6.90-7.10; wing 1.90-2.00; tail 2.00-2.25 or a little more; bill 

 0.40 ; tarsus 0.67. No trace of yellow on bend of wing, nor any yellow loral spot. No black 

 maxillary or pectoral streaks; markings of under parts confined to sparse, sharp, blackisii 



