488 



U. 8. P, E, R EXP, AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



This section embraces a single North American genus, chiefly characterized by the remarkable 

 elongation of the lateral toes, as well as by the peculiar shape and great size of all the claws ; 

 the lateral, especially, are so much lengthened as to extend nearly as far as the middle. The 

 only approach to this, as far as I recollect, among United States Conirostres, is in Pipilo mega- 

 lonyx, and Agelaius icterocephalus. 



PASSERELLA, Swainsou, 



Passerella, Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 288. Type FringiUa iliaca, Merrem. 



Ch. — Body stout. Bill conical, not notched, the outlines straight; the two jaws of equal depth; roof of upper mandible 

 deeply excavated, and vaulted ; not knobbed. Tarsus scarcely longer than the middle toe ; outer toe little longer than the 

 inner, its claw reaching to the middle of the central one. Hind toe about equal to the inner lateral ; the claws all long, and 

 moderatily curved only ; the posterior rather longer than the middle, and equal to its toe. Wings long, pointed, reaching to 

 the middle of the tail ; the tertials not longer than secondaries ; second and third quills longest ; first equal to the fifth. Tail 

 very nearly even, scarcely longer than the wing. Inner claw contained scarcely one-and-a-half times in its toe proper. 



Color. — Rufous or slaty ; obsoletely streaked or uniform above ; thickly spotted with triangular blotches beneath. 



The following species constitute the known members of the genus from the United States : 



Back, breast, and sides of neck and body streaked distinctly with light brownish red ; of 

 which color are the wings and tail P. iliaca. 



Wings and tail dark brownish rufous ; rest of upper parts uniform olivaceous rufous. Under 

 parts with thickly crowded, more or less confluent, spots of the same P. toivnsendii. 



Wings and tail dark brownish rufous ; rest of upper parts uniform slate gray. The under 

 parts with distinct triangular spots of the same P. scJiisfacea. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



PASSERELLA ILIACA, Swainson. 

 Fox-colored Sparrow. 



Fringilla iliaca, Merrem. " Beitr. zur besond. Gesch. der Vogel, II, 1786- '87, 40 ; pi. x." — Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 

 1788, 923.— AuD. Cm. Biog. II, 1834, .58 : V, 512 ; pi. 108.— Id. Syn. 1839.— Ib. Birds Amor. 

 Ill, 1841, 139 ; pi. 186. 



Passerella iliaca, Sw. Birds, II, 1837, 288.— Bon. List, 1838.— Is. Conspectus, 1850, 477. 



Fringilla rvfa, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 53 ; pi. xxiv, f. 4.— Light. Verz. 1823, No. 248. 



Fringilla fcrrttginea, Wilson, Catalogue, VI, 1812. — Hall's ed. Wilson, II, 255. 



" Emberiza pratcnsis, Vieill." Gray. 



Sp. Ch. — Middle of the back dull ash, each feather with a large blotch of brownish red ; top of head and neck, with rump 

 similar, but with smaller and more obsolete blotches. Upper tail coverts, with exposed surface of wings and tail, bright rufous. 



