372 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



out its range, wintering nearly throughout ; one of tlie common winter sparrows of the Middle 

 States. A very abundant bird everywhere in shrubbery and tangle, garden, orchard, and park, 

 as well as swamp and brake. A hearty, sunny songster, whose quivering pipe is often tuned 

 to the most dreary scenes ; the limpid notes being one of the few snatches of bird melody that 

 enlivens winter. Nesting various, in a bush near the ground, or a grass tuft, or on the ground : 

 eggs 4-6, 0.75-0.85 X 0.55-0.60, greenish or grayish-white, endlessly varied with browns, from 

 reddish to chocolate as surface-markings, and lavender or purplish shell-markings, either 

 speckled, blotched, or clouded : no general effect dcscribable in few words. Two or three 

 br(K)ds may be reared. 



24;"». M. f. fal'lax. (Lat. fallax, fallacious, deceitful: well named.) Gray Song Sparrow. 

 Extremely t^iiuilar ; the first and least departure from fasciata, and scarcely distintruishable ; 

 tail rather longer ; tone of upper parts paler, 

 grayer ; the streaks not so obviously blackish 

 in the centre and with less rufous ; obsolete 

 on rump. Southern Kocky Mt. region and 

 Great Basin. 



348. M. f. heer'manni. (To Dr. A. L. Heer- 

 mann.) Heermann's Song Sparrow. Sim- 

 ilar : tone of upper parts grayish, the streaks 

 numerous, broad, distinct, with little rufous 

 and mostly lacking pale edging, obsolete on 

 the rump. Size of fasciata. California. 



249. M. f. samue'lis. (To E. Samuels.) Samuels' 

 Song Sparrow. Similar to the last, in dis- 

 tinctness of the black streaks, wMeh are not 

 obsolete on rump ; tone of upper parts ashy- 

 gray. Very small, scarcely 5.00; wing 2.00 ; 

 tail 2.30. California coast. 



24fi. M. f. gutta'ta. (Lat. guttata, marked with 

 drop-like spots.) Oregon Song Sparrow. 

 Decidedly different. The streaking diffuse, 

 the streaks above and below dark rufous- 

 brown, without black centres or pale edges. 

 Coloration blended, the general tone ruddy; 

 under parts extensively shaded with brownish, except on belly. About the size of fasciata, 

 or rather larger. Pacific coast, U. S. and British Columbia. This form was recognized as dis- 

 tinct by Audubon, who wrongly called it Fringilla cinerea Gm. ; and by NuttaU, who named 

 it F. guttata, and compared it with the fox sparrow, from its resemblance in color to Passerella 

 iliaca. 



247. M. f. rufi'na. (Lat. rufiim, reddish.) RusTY SoNG Sparrow. Quite like guttata; larger 

 and darker ; tone of upper parts smoky-brown, the streaking very dark. Wing and tail about 

 3.00. Pacific coast, British Columbia and northward. (Combined by Baird with the last, 

 under name of M. rufina.) 



250. M. cine'rea. (Lat. cinerea, ashy.) Cinereous Song Sparrow. Kadiak Song Sparrow. 

 Peculiar in size, shape, and color. Above, brownish slate-color, more rufous on wings, the 

 streaking broad and blended, very dark. Below, plumbeous-whitish, shaded with brown on 

 sides, the streaks broad, diffuse, and dark. Spring and fall plumages differ much, but the bird 

 may be recognized by its great size. Length about 7.00 ; wing .3.30 ; tail 3.50 ; bill very long, 

 slender for its length; culmen about 0.60; depth at base 0.30. Kadiak, Alaska; Aleutian 

 Islands. (Fringilla cinerea Gm. M. insignis Bd.) 



Fig 234. — Song Sparrow, reduced. (Sheppard del. 

 Nichols sc. ) 



