BIRDS — FEINGILLIDAE — PASSEECULUS. 



441 



CENTRONYX BAIRDII, Baird. 



Emberiza iairdii, Addubon, Birds Amer. VII, 1843, 359 ; pi. 500. 

 Coturniculus hairdii, Bon. Syn. 1850, 481. 



Sp. Ch. — Somewhat similar in general appearance to Passerculus savanna. Back grayish, streaked with dusky. Crown 

 nearly covered by black streaks, but divided by a broad median band of brownish yellow. Eyelids and a faint superciliary 

 stripe yellowish white. Beneath white, with a maxillary blackish stripe and some narrow streaks on the upper part of the 

 breast, and sides of the throat and body. Outer edges and tips of tail feathers white ; the two outer feathers obsoletely white. 

 Bend of wing white. Length, 4.75 ; wing, 2.80 ; tail, 2.20. 



Hah. — Mouth of the Yellowstone. 



This species has somewhat of the general appearance of Passerculus savanna, but with im- 

 portant differences both of form and color. The bill is much longer, and more slender in 

 proportion. The wings are quite unusually long ; the primaries more than half an inch longer 

 than the tertiaries ; the first quill as long as the fourth, and but little less than the second and 

 third. The tail is very short ; the feathers narrow and pointed. The feet are large ; the hind 

 claw very long, and considerably curved, as are the other claws generally. 



The yellow patch on the crown ; the longer bill, hind claw, and wings ; the absence of yellow 

 over the eye and on the wing ; the much less amount of spotting on the breast ; the white of the 

 outer tail feathers, &c., all distinguish this species very readily from F. savanna and its allies. 



This species appears closely related to some Plectrophanes in the lengthened wings and very 

 long hind claw. This, however, as well as all the claws, are considerably curved ; the legs are 

 much larger and stouter, and the tertials and inner secondaries are shorter. The coloration is 

 that of female Plectrophanes, especially P. piettis. 



List of specimens. 



PASSERCULUS, Bonaparte. 



Passtrculus, Bonap. Comp. List Birds, 1838. Type Fringilla savanna. 



Bill moderately conical ; the lower mandible smaller ; both outlines nearly straight. Tarsus about equal to the middle toe. 

 Lateral toes about equal, their claws falling far short of the middle one. Hind toe much longer than the lateral ones, reaching 

 as far as the middle of the middle claw ; its claws moderately curved . Wings unusually long, reacliing to the middle of the 

 tail, and almost to the end of the upper coverts. The tertials nearly er quite as long as the primaries ; the first primary 

 longest. The tail is quite short, considerably shorter than the wings ; as long as from the carpal joint to the end of the 

 secondaries. It is emarginate, and slightly rounded ; the feathers pointed and narrow. 



Entire plumage above, head, neck, back, and rump streaked. Thickly streaked beneath. 



The essential characters of this well marked genus lie in the elongated wings, longer than 

 the tail, the tertiaries equal to the primaries, the first quill almost longest. The legs are 

 long, the outstretched toes reaching to the end of the tail; the lateral considerably shorter than 

 the middle, which is not much longer than the hinder. The tail is short, narrow, and emargi- 

 nate ; the feathers acute. 



1 have, with some hesitation, referred the Emberi'/.a rostrala of Cassin to this genus. It 

 agrees in most respects, but the bill is much larger, the upper outline decidedly convex 

 56 b 



