374 SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS — PA SSEEES — OSCINES 



253. p. ae. arizo'nae. (Of Arizona.) Arizona Summer Finx'H. With a general likeness to P. 

 (estivnlis, iu pattern of coloration, streaking of all upper parts, similarity of back to crown, 

 yellow edge of wing, and plain tail feathers ; size same, wing and tail a trifle longer (as in 

 illindensis). Colors duller and less variegated ; maxillary stripes obscure or obsolete. Upper 

 parts light dull chestnut or reddish- brown, moderately streaked with plumbeous-gray, but 

 reddish the prevailing tone; interscapular feathers, and sometimes those of the crown, with 

 blackish centres; a poorly defined light superciliary stripe. Beneath, dull whitish, unstreaked, 

 the breast and sides with a decided ochrey-brown tinge. Wings dusky, the inner secondaries 

 darker and with more conspicuous rusty-brown edgings than those of the longer quills, and also 

 some whitish edging or tipping. Bill blackish above, pale below ; legs flesh color. Young : 

 above, streaked with blackish and yellowish-gray, showing little reddish ; under parts more or 

 less streaked with dusky. Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southward. (This is 

 what I meant by P. var. cassini of the orig. od. of the Key ; but true cassini is entirely diflPer- 

 ent. Var. arizonce is probably identical with Zonotrichia botterii Scl.) 



254. P. cas'sini. (To John Cassin.) Cassin's Summer Finch. Belonging to the ccstivalis 

 group, with yellow edge of wing, and most resembling var. arizonce; but perfectly distinct. A 

 peculiar character of marking raises groundless suspicion of immaturity. ^ 9 » adult : Entire 

 upper parts, from bill to tail, alike in pattera of coloration — a peculiarly intimate variegation 

 of ashy-gray, rufous-brown and blackish — the ruddy color occupying most of the feathers, 

 which have a blackish central field and gray edging ; the blackish area on each feather, espe- 

 cially of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, where it is most conspicuous, being hammer- 

 headed, or widened toward the end of the feather. Pattern of markings smallest on the cervix. 

 No special head-markings, though there is a tendency toward a lateral browner band on the 

 side of the crown, and browner post-ocular stripe, separated by a gray interval. Variegation 

 of the upper parts descending on sides of neck ; sides of head with some vague markings. 

 Innermost secondaries showing quite blackish in the general field of the upper parts, and edged 

 all around with a firm border of ashy-white or hoary-white. Greater and middle coverts exactly 

 like the inner secondaries ; primaries similar, but the edging not so clear. Edge of wing clear 

 yellow, and some of the least coverts tinged with this color. Tail curiously particolored ; 

 middle pair of feathers light grayish-brown, with a strong dusky shaft-line throwing ofi' numer- 

 ous dusky cross-bars, so that these feathers seem ''watered" with lighter and darker shades. 

 Other tail-feathers, except the outermost pair, are dusky-brown, with pale grayish-brown 

 terminal spots increasing in size from the inner feathers outward. On the outermost feather 

 this pale gray space is very large, and rimmed all around with white. An indistinct maxillary 

 stripe on each side of the chin. A number of strong well-defined dusky stripes on the flanks ; 

 otherwise, entire under parts unmarked, and of a dingy whitish color, clearest on the belly ami 

 throat, more grayish on the sides and across breast. Bill brown, pale below; feet pale. 

 Length 6.00-6.25; extent about 8.25; wing 2.50; tail 2.75. Young: Described as- very 

 similar, but with a few drop-shaped streaks on the jugulum and along aides ; feathers of upper 

 parts with a more appreciable terminal border of buff. Texas to California, N. to Kansas, S. 

 into Mexico. Habits, nest, and eggs as in P. aestivalis (eggs pure white). 



255. P. ru'ficeps. (Lat. ruficeps, red-headed.) RuFOUS-CRO^VNED Summer Finch. Belonging 

 to a different section of the genus, without any yellow on edge of wing as in the cestivalis group 

 and cassini. Lesser wing-coverts not chestnut as in P. carpalis. Strong maxillary streaks. 

 $ 9 , adult : Crown bright chestnut, in perfect condition bright and continuous, blackening 

 on forehead, where divided by a short whitish line (whole cap thus as in Spizella socialis or 

 Melospiza palustris) ; crown, however, oftener streaked with olive-ash, especially along a 

 median dividing line, thus assimilating more nearly with colors of other upper parts. An 

 obscure olive-ashy superciliary line, whitening over the lores. Back streaked with olive-ash and 

 chestnut-brown, the latter sometimes distinct, as bold streaking with ashy edging of the 



