450 U. S. p. R. R, EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



COTUKNICULUS PASSEEINUS, B o n a p . 

 Yellow-winged Sparrow. 



Fringilla passtrina, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 76 ; pi. .\xvi, f. 5. — Audob. Cm. Biog. II, 1834, 180: V, 497 ; 



pi. 130. 

 Fringilla (Spiza) passerina, Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 111. 

 Colwrniculus passerina, Bonap. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 481. 

 Embei-iza passerina, AcD. Syn. 1839.— Ib. Birds Amer. HI, 1841, 73 ; pi. 162. 

 Fringilla savanamm, (Gm.) Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, 494.— Ib. 2d ed. 1840, 570.— (An Gmelin, Syst. Nat I, 1788, 



921.) 

 ;? Fringilla caudacuta, Lath. Ind. Orn. I, 1790, 459.— Nutt. Man. I, 1832, 505. 

 .' Passerina pratensis, Vieillot. 



Sp. Ch. — Feathers of the upper parts brownish rufous, margined narrowly and abruptly with ash color ; reddest on the lower 

 part of the back and rump ; the feathers all abruptly black in the central portion ; this color visible on the interscapular region 

 where the rufous is more restricted. Crown blackish, with a central and superciliary stripe of yellowish tinged with brown, 

 brightest in front of the eye. Bend of the wing bright yellow ; lesser coverts tinged with greenish yellow. Quills and tail 

 feathers edged with whitish ; tertiaries much variegated. Lower parts brownish yellow, nearly white on the middle of the 

 belly. The feathers of the upper breast and sides of the body with obsoletely darker centres. Length, about 5 inches ; wing, 

 2.40; tail, 2. 



Hab. — Eastern United States to the High Central plains, (Loup Fork.) Also, along the valley of Gila and Colorado. 



The young of this species has the upper part of the breast streaked with black, much more 

 distinct than in the adult, and exhibiting a close resemblance to C. hensloivi. 



Specimens from the far west have the reddish of the back considerably paler ; the light stripe 

 on the head, with scarcely any yellow ; a decided spot in front of the eye quite yellow. 



This species is not dissimilar in general appearance to Peucaea bachmani ; it is, however, 

 smaller, tail much shorter, &c.; the marking also differs considerably. It is distinguished from 

 henslowi by the absence of distinct spots on the breast. C. manimbe, of South America, lacks 

 the red of the rump, and the median stripe on the head ; the sides of the head are more ashy ; 

 the breast is tinged with brownish ash, but there are no indications whatever of even obsolete 

 streaks. 



The Savannah finch, of Latham, II, 270, from Jamaica, (upon which Gmelin's Fringilla 

 savannarum is based,) answers in a general way, and may, possibly, be the same species, but in 

 the great uncertainty on the subject I do not follow Nuttall in adopting the name. The Frin- 

 gilla caudacuta, of Latham, also has some relationship to this species, but is etj[ually indefinite. 



