574 FR1NGILLID.E. 



Ernberiza (Plectrophanes) nivalis, Swains, fy Richards. Faun. Bor.- 



Amer., Birds, p. 246 (1831). 

 Plectrophanes hiernalis, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 304 (1831). 

 Plectrophanes borealis, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 305 (1831). 

 Plectrophanes niustelinus, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl, p. 306 (1831). 

 Plectrophanes niontanus, Brehm, Vogelf. p. 119 (1855). 

 Emberiza borealis, Derjl. Orn. Eur. i. p. 273 (1849). 

 Plectrophenax nivalis, Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 33 



(1882) ; Turner, Auk, ii. p. 157 (1885) ; Stejneger, Bull. U. S. 



Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 248 (1885) ; A. O. U. Check-list N. Amer. 



B. p. 262 (1886) ; Salvad. Blench. Ucc. Ital. p. 160 (1887). 

 Calcarius nivalis, Giglioli, Avif. Ital. p. 56 (1886). 



Adult male. General colour above black, generally with a few 

 remains of whitish margins to the feathers of the lower back and 

 rump ; sides of the rump and lateral upper tail-coverts white, the 

 remainder of the latter black, edged with white ; scapulars black ; 

 wing-coverts white ; bastard-wing black ; primary- coverts white ; 

 primaries black, the basal third white ; the secondaries white, ex- 

 cepting the innermost, which are black like the innermost greater 

 coverts ; tail-feathers black, fringed externally and round the tip 

 with white, increasing on the fourth, which has a broad white 

 border ; the three outer tail-feathers white, with a small black mark 

 at the end of the outer web, a little larger on the third feather, 

 where it is seen on the inner web also ; head and neck all round 

 and entire under surface of body pure white, including the axillaries, 

 under wing-coverts, and lining of quills : " bill dull yellowish, darker 

 towards the point ; legs black ; iris dark brown " (Dresser). Total 

 length 7 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 4-45, tail 2-7, tarsus 0*85. 



Adult female in breeding-plumage. Never so distinctly black and 

 white as the male. Above blackish, mottled with greyish bases and 

 greyish- white edges to the feathers ; the crown like the back, and 

 washed with fulvous ; wing-coverts blackish brown, tipped with 

 white; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, 

 edged with whitish; the secondaries white, washed with brown 

 near the end of the outer web, the inner secondaries brown, edged 

 with white ; tail-feathers as in the male, but with more brown on 

 the outer feathers, especially on the third feather ; eyebrow, lores, 

 and under surface of body dull white ; the ear-coverts dull ashy ; 

 sides of upper breast ashy brown. Total length 6 inches, culmen 

 0-45, wing 3-8, tail 2-35, tarsus 0-8. 



The old females never have the black markings on the outer tail- 

 feathers reduced to the same extent as the males, the third feather 

 always showing a considerable amount of black at the tip, whereas 

 in some old males it is reduced to a small mark on the two outer 

 feathers. 



Nestling. Ashy ochreous, the back mottled with blackish centres, 

 the head and neck slightly varied with dusky bases to the feathers ; 

 wing-coverts dull white, washed with pale rufous; bastard-wing 

 black as well as the outer margin of the outer greater coverts; 

 primary-coverts and primaries blackish, edged and tipped with ashy 



