FRINGILLID^: FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, ETC. 



367 



streaks on the sides. General coloration more or less butf, according to age and season. 

 Cn»wn with black lateral strijjes, separated by a whitish stripe becoiniug ochrey <>n forehead. 

 Sides of head buff, brightest on the long broad superciliary line, enclosing slaty-gray auriculars, 

 which are bordered above by a black post-ocular liuo, sonietiuies diiefly appearing as a dark speck 

 behind them. Cervical feathers bay, black-shafted and whitish -edged, forming a distinct inter- 

 val between markings of back and crown. Dorsal feathers iu bold pattern, witli black terminal 

 central field, little rufous and nmch whitish or buffy edging ; streaking extending on rump and 

 upper tail-coverts. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries colored boldly to ccnrespond with the 

 back. Under parts bufiy-white, sometimes quite wliitish, again much more buffy, with season, 

 usually quite buff" with only belly whitish. .Fresh moulted fall birds are often entirely deep 

 buff below, excepting the belly, which is white, in marked contrast. Young : Bill still smaller, 

 reddish-brown instead of bluish ; general color buff above, whitish below, more or less bufTy on 

 breast and sides ; markings of upper parts black, without the bay and brown variegation, except 

 on wings and tail, which are nearly as in the adults ; sparse black streaks of under parts usually 

 appearing across breast as well as on sides. An interesting, long-lost species, recently redis- 

 covered : Yellowstone R. {Audubon, 1843) ; Texas (Lincecum) ; Dakota {Coues, 1873) ; 

 Illinois {Nelson, 1875) ; Iowa {Newton, 1875); Minnesota {Tiffany, 1878) ; South Carolina! 

 {Loomis, 1881.) Approaching Ammodramiis caudacutus in many respects, and inhabiting 

 similar resorts in the interior. Nest and eggs stiU unknown. 

 78. AMMO DRA3IUS. (Gr. a/i/u,os, amnios, sand; dpafie'iv, dramein, to run.) Sea-side Spar- 

 rows. Bill remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen decurved toward 



end, gonys straight, and sometimes an 



evident lubation of the cutting edge of 

 the upper mandible. Wings short and 

 rounded, yet longer than tail ; inner sec- 

 ondaries, though not elongate, reaching 

 nearly to end of primaries when wing 

 is closed ; point formed by 2d-4th quills. 

 Feet large and stout, reaching out- 

 stretched about to end of tail; tarsus 

 about equal to middle toe and claw in 

 length ; lateral toes of equal lengths, 

 very short, their claws underreaching 

 base of middle claw. Tail short.er or 

 not longer than wings, much rounded, 

 of narrow, stiffish, sharp-pointed feath- 

 ers. Embracing small streaky marsh 

 sparrows, especially of the sea-coast, 

 but not exclusively maritime, as long 

 supposed ; remarkable for slenderness 

 of the bill, sharp narrow tail-feathers, and stout feet fitted for grasping slender swaying reeds. 

 Edge of wing bright yellow ; a yellow spot or buff stripe on head ; upper parts olive-gray or 

 quite bladdsh, streaky. 



Analynia of Species. 



Loral spot and edge of wing bright yellow. 



Upper parts olive-gray obscurely streaked maritimux ?38' 



Upijer parts quite blackiali niqrencevf 2"^ 



A long buff superciliary stripe caudacutus ?40-?4t 



238. A. mari'timus. (Lat. martYmMs, maritime, coast- wise; mcrre, the sea. Fig. 230.) SEA-Pinr: 

 Finch. Olive-gray, obscurely streaked on back and crown with darker and paler ; below, whit- 

 ish, often washed with brownish, shaded on sides with color of back, and with ill-defined d:irk 



Fig 230 — Generic details of .4mmo(7ra»ius (A. caudacutus), 

 nat. size. (Ad. nat. del. E. C) 



