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



known, the one before me, kindly lent to the Smithsonian Institution by Doctor Michener, and 

 previously figured and described by Mr. Audubon. I do not feel able to decide the question of 

 its true relationships to E. americana, but will merely remark that the fact of the original of 

 Mr. Audubon's description being unique is no argument against its being a true species, as 

 several other unquestionable si^ecies of even the best known portions of the United States, as 

 Dendroica Idrtlandii and carbonata, Begulus cuvieri, &c., are in the same category, while several 

 others are not much better known. 



The first quill is longest, the others successively shorter. The plumbeous of the rump and 

 upper coverts is glossed with yellowish brown like the back. The streaks on the back are very 

 narrow and inconspicuous, much less distinct than in americana. 



The peculiarities of this bird, compared with E. americana, consist in an extension of the 

 slate of the sides and back of the neck over the entire head above, and to a less degree on 

 the back, across the breast, and along the sides. The yellow of the head is wanting entirely ; 

 the superciliary stripe narrower, not passing so far backward, and white. The white maxillary 

 stripe is very distinct, and linear, for a greater distance than in the other species. There is 

 none of the chestnut red on the shoulders, these parts being yellowish brown like the rest of the 

 wing. 



The pattern of coloration in this bird (though marked male,) is much like that of the 

 female americana in the black maxillary line, the spots across the breast, and the absence of 

 black on the throat. The female americana, however^ never has the pure slate of the sides and 

 top of the head, as well as across the breast ; the maxillary light stripe is much less distinct, 

 and, with the superciliary, is strongly tinged with yellow. ^ 



GUIRACA, Swainsou. 



Guiraca, Swainsok, Zool. Jour. Ill, Nov. 1827, 350. Type Loxia ca:rulea, L. 



Coccoborus, Swainson, Class. Birds, 11, 1837, 277. Same type. 



? Goniaphea, Bowdich, " Excursions in Madeira, 1825," Agassiz. Type Loxia ludoviciana, L. according to Gray. 



Habia, Reicheneach, Av. Syst. Nat. 1850 ; plate xxviii. Type Loxia ludoviciana, L.; not Habia, Lesson, 1831. 



Hedymelcs, Cab amis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 153. Same type. 



Bill very large, nearly as high as long ; the culmen curved, with a rather sharp ridge ; the commissure conspicuously 

 angulaled just below the nostril, the posterior leg of the angle nearly as long as the anterior, both nearly straight. Lower jaw 

 deeper than the upper, and extending much behind the forehead ; the width greater than the length of the gonys, considerably 

 wider than the upper jaw. A prominent knob in the roof of the mouth. Tarsi shorter than the middle toe; theouter toea little 

 longer, reaching not quite to the base of the middle claw ; hind toe rather longer than to this base. Wings long, reaching the 

 middle of the tail ; the secondaries and tertials nearly equal ; the second quill longest ; the first less than the fourth. Tail very 

 nearly even, shorter than the wings. 



1 The following extract from a letter received from Doctor Michener, dated December 23, 1857, contains some interesting 

 details respecting this species : 



" The accompanying paragraph, taken from my note-book, contains the information youdesirerespectingTownsend'sbunting. 

 The bird was killed by Mr. Townsend himself, in an old field grown up with cedar bushes, near New Garden, Chester county, 

 within half a mile of the New Garden meeting house : 



'■Mat) 11, 1833. — This morning J. K. Townsend, in company with John Richards, shot a bunting in Wm. Brown's cedar 

 bushes, which is believed to be a nondescript. We have given it the provisional name (until further examined) o( Emberiza 

 ttlbi/^ula, or IVhile-lliioatcd Bunting. The following brief description was drawn up from the recent bird : 



" Male. — Upper mandible black, middle edge white, lower light blue with a longitudinal stripe extending from the point half 

 way to the base ; head dark plumbeous, cheeks and breast lighter plumbeous, lino over the eye white ; back varied with black 

 and brown ; wings brown, the first and second primaries equal and longest, the two lesser coverts edged with paler ; the throat 

 white, margined with black extending down upon the breast, beneath which is a small spot of ochreous ; sides light plumbeous ; 

 bellv and vent brownish white. Length, 5J inches ; extent, 9 inches." 



