454 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



AMMODROMUS MARITIMUS, S w a i n s o n . 



Sea-side Finch. 



Fringilla marilima, Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, 1811, 68 ; pi. xxxiv, f. 2.— Aun. Orn. Biog. 1, 1831 ; pi. 93. 

 ^mmodraimis maritimus, Sw. Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 328. (Ti/pe.)— Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 482. — Aud. 

 • Synopsis, 1839, 110.— Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 103 ; pi. 172. 



Fringilla (^mmodramus) maritima, Nutt. Man. I, (2d ed.) 1840, 592. 



Fringilla macgillivrayi, Aud. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 285 : IV, 1838, 394 : V, 1839, 499 ; pi. 355. 

 .^mmodramus macgiUivrayi, Eon. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850,482. — AsD. Syn. 1839. — Ib. Birds Amer. Ill, 



1841,106; pi. 173. 

 Fringilla {^mmodronms) macgillivrayi, Ndttall, Man. I, 2d ed. 1840, 593. 



Sp. Ch. — Above olivaceous brown ; beneath white ; the breast and sides of body yellowish brown, obsoletely streaked with 

 plumbeous. Sides of head and body, a central stripe on the Iiead above, a maxillary stripe, and indistinct longitudinal streak» 

 on the breast, ashy brown ; the sides and the breast tinged with yellowish. The maxillary stripe culs off a white one 

 above it ; a superciliary stripe is bright yellow anterior to the eye, and plumbeous above and behind it. Edge of wing 

 yellow ; bill blue. Length, about 6 inches ; wing, 2.50. 



Hab. — Atlantic coast as far at least as Long Island. 



The appearance of streaks on the hreast is caused hy the feathers being plumbeous, and edged 

 with dirty brownish yellow. The scapular feathers are edged with grayish, the wing coverts 

 and tertial with rufous. The region around the eye is dark brown ; the sides of the head above, 

 and the back of the neck faintly streaked with blackish. 



A bird in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy, labelled Ammodramus macgillivrayi, 

 has much the ajjpearance of a young bird of A. maritimus. The bill, feet, wings and tail 

 are almost exactly the same. The chief differences are in the less distinctness of the yellow at 

 the base of the bill, the edge of the wing being white, instead of yellow ; the under parts dirty 

 white, with sharply defined narrow dusky streaks across the breast, instead of the obscure 

 dusky broad centres of maritimus. This, however, is common in young sparrows, even where 

 the adults are unspotted beneath, and the looseness of the plumage, and its downy character 

 are such as to render it very probable that the full plumage has not been attained. It is 

 different from A. caudaculus in the larger size, especially of the bill, and the lack of the brownish 

 yellow on the sides of the head, as of the light edges of the doisal feathers. Another specimen, 

 (43G2,) from Beesley's Point, New Jersey, and unquestionably very young, as the bill is not 

 fully grown, has the back and head conspicuously streaked with dark brown, without lighter 

 edges ; the streaks on the breast and sides as well defined as those of A. caudacutus. 



List of specimens. 



