478 



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



en the margin. Rump grayer than upper tail coverts, both with obsolete dark streaka. There is a whitish maxillary stripe, 

 bordered above and below by one of dark rufous brown, with a similar one from behind the eye. The under parts are white ; 

 the breast and sides of body and throat streaked with dark rufous, with a still darker central line. On the middle of the 

 breast these marks are rather aggregated so as to form a spot. No distinct white on tail or wings. Length of male, 6.50 ; 

 wing, 2.58 ; tail, 3. 



Hab. — Eastern United States to the High Central Plains. 



Specimens vary somewhat in having the streaks across the breast more or less sparse ; the 

 spot more or less distinct. In autumn the colors are more blended, the light maxillary stripe 

 tinged with yellowish, the edges of the dusky streaks suffused with brownish rufous. 



The young bird has the upper parts paler, the stre&ks more distinct ; the lines on the head 

 scarcely appreciable. The under parts are yellowish ; the streaks narrower and more sharply 

 defined dark brown. 



List of specimens. 



MELOSPIZA HEERMANNI, Baird. 



Heermaun's Song Sparrow. 



Sp. Ch. — Somewhat like melodia. The streaks on the back and under parts blacker, broader, more distinct, and scarcely 

 margined with reddish, except in winter plumage. General shade of coloration olivaceous gray rather than rusty. Length, 

 6.40 ; wing, 2.56 ; tail, 3. 



Hab. — Tejon Pass, California. 



In the collection of sparrows before me is a Melospiza from the Tejon valley (6227) (winter) 

 labelled Zonotrichia guttata by Dr. Heermann, and resembling it somewhat, but differing very 

 appreciably from a large number of specimens from "Washington and Oregon Territories. It 

 differs in having the bill considerably larger, broader, and more convex, and bulging laterally 

 at the base ; the commissure more sinuated ; the tarsus shorter. The under parts are of a 

 purer white ; the streaks are less numerous, but larger and more sharply defined, being 

 blackish brown anteriorly, with a slightly rufous edging in places. The sides and under tail 

 coverts are yellowish brown, as in rufina, but with darker streaks. The ground color of 

 the upper parts is nearly the same, (darker than in melodia,) but the streaks and blotches, 

 instead of being obsolete, are strongly marked. The blotcTies on the upper surface are even 

 darker than in melodia and more extended ; they are margined with darker and more brownish 

 rufous, and lack the well defined grayish edges to the feathers. The spots on the under parts, 

 too, are blacker and larger than in melodia, with less rusty brown on the sides ; the sides of 

 body and under tail coverts are darker and more blotched. The black blotches on the breast 

 distinguish this species from Z.fallax. 



