382 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



7.50 inches long, tlip rounded wings and tail each 3.00 <ir more ; the under parts with very few 

 streaks, or none, the uiidiUe of the back streaked, the rump plain, the wings with two white 

 cross-bars, the head of the adults witli black, and usually with white and yellow also, or both. 

 Bill moderate, conical, culmeu and gonys just appreciably curved, commissure very little augu- 

 lated. Point of the wing formed usually by tlie 2d-4th quills, and 1st about equal to 5th ; 

 folding decidedly beyond the inner secondaries, and to near the middle of the tail. Tail-feathers 

 of moderate width and consistency, rounded oval at the end ; tail as a whole rounded. Tarsus 

 about equal to middle toe and claw : lateral toes about equal to each other. The Crown 

 Sparrows are peculiar to North America, where they are represented by five beautiful and per- 

 fectly distinct species. 



Atmiysis of Species {adults only). 

 Crown black and white; no yellow on liead; throat ash. 



Lores black. Dorsal streaks purplish-bay ; no yellow on wing leucophrys 276 



Lores gray. Dorsal streaks purplish-bay , no yellow on wing intermedia 277 



Lores gray. Dorsal streaks sooty-black ; edge of wing yellowish gombeli 278 



Crown black and white; yellow spot before eye; throat white; edge of wing yellow albicollis 275 



Crown black, yellow and ash; edge of wing yellow; throat ashy coronata 279 



Crown, face, and throat black ; no yellow on head or wing quenda 280 



•J75. Z. albicollis. (Lat. albicollis, white-throated; dlbus, white; collum, neck. Fig. 241.) 

 AVhite-throated Crown Sparrow. Peabody-bird. Adult $ : Crown black, divided by 



a median white stripe, bounded by a white 

 -„-^"*- ^^^ n ' "i^ superciliary line, and yelloio spot from 



^"^^^feyja^L^^fe. \ ^Z^f- nostril to eye ; below tliis a black stripe 



'^^'^^.-i'^^Pr j^^«^^^^^^^^ through eye; below this a maxillary 



a^^^ <^ i/^'*^^'^ _ black stripe bounding the definitely pure 



"^ZJjp^!^^ \ ^ ^L white throat, sharply contrasted with the 



.*«m=.- -V,] ^ <^' jai-]- .jgjj yf x^Q breast and sides of thr 



'' neck and head. Edge of wing yellow. 

 ^^ Back continuously streaked with black, 



.^^ chestnut, and fulvous- white ; rump ashy, 



'*- "'^'^^ ~- unmarked. Wings much edged with 



^, <, 5«s^jg^i»v.,^B^s— ^.^.sf * " bav, the white tips of the median and 



— dte^yi!Vc5^^^fc4j»»-F-^ -«^ ;^ greater coverts forming two conspicuous 



bars ; quills and tail-feathers dusky, with 

 . ^^^^^, ^ pale edges. Below, white, shaded with 



jy " "^ ashy-brown on sides, the ash deeper and 



Fig 2«. — White-throated. Crown Sparrow, reduced, purer on the breast ; bill dark ; feet pale. 

 (Sheppard, del. Nichols sc.) ^ ^ .^^^ immature birds, and specimens 



as generally seen in the U. S. in fall and winter, with the black of the head replaced by brown, 

 the white of the throat less conspicuously contrasted with the duller ash of surrounding parts, 

 and frequently with obscure dusky streaks on the breast and sides ; but the species may always 

 be kno\\-n by the yellow over the eye and on the edge of the wing (these never being imper- 

 ceptible), coupled Avith the large size and the generic characters. Length 6.50-6.90; extent 

 9.20-<).90; wing 2.75-3.00; tail about the same. A fine sparrow, abundant throughout 

 Eastern N. Am. to latitude 65° N. ; W. to Dakota; breeds from the New England and 

 other Northern States northward ; winters from the Middle States southward. Found in 

 all situations, but especially in shrubbery, generally in flocks, except when breeding ; a 

 pleasing if not brilliant songster, with its limpid pea-peahody, peahody, pedbody in cadence. 

 Nest on the ground, rarely in bushes; eggs 4-6, about 0.90 X 0.66, with the endless diversity 

 of tone and pattern of those of the song sparrow, from which they are only distinguished by 

 their greater size. 



