738 



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



Figures. — Nadmann, B. of Germany, pi. 196. — Gould, B. of Eur. IV, pi. 313. — Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, pi. 59, fig. 2.— 

 AuD. B. of Am. pi. 303 ; oct. ed. V, pi. 327. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill about as long as the head, rather wide and flattened at base, curved at the tip ; nostril with a large membrane ; 

 nasal groove long ; wing long ; tail long for this group ; legs moderate or rather long ; lower half of the tibia naked ; toes 

 moderate, the outer and middle toe united by a membrane, inner and middle free to the base, hind toe small. General color of 

 the upper parts brownish black, with a greenish lustre, and with the feathers edged with ashy white and yellowish, the litter 

 especially on the wing coverts ; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail coverts, brownish black ; lateral coverts of the 

 tail yellowish white, with arrow-heads and irregular spots of black. Wide stripe over the eye and entire under parts very pale 

 yellowish white, nearly pure white on the abdomen ; neck before with numerous longitudinal lines of brownish black ; breast 

 and sides with waved and pointed transverse narrow bands of the same ; axillary feathers and under wing coverts pure white, 

 with numerous nearly regular transverse narrow bands of black. Quills brownish black, with numerous transverse bands of 

 white on their inner webs, very conspicuous on the under surface of the wing ; shaft of first primary white. Middle feathers 

 of the tail same greenish brown as the back, with irregular and imperfect transverse bands of black ; outer feathers pale reddish 

 yellow, edged and tipped with white, and with several irregular transverse bands and a large sub-terminal arrow-head of black. 

 Bill greenish yellow, with the under mandible more clear yellow towards its base, tip brownish black ; legs light yellow ; toes 

 darker. Total length, about 12 inches ; wing, 6^ ; tail, 3i ; bill, 



Hab. — Eastern North America, South America, Europe. 



Everywhere in the interior of the States on the Atlantic this is the most abundant and best 

 known species of this group. Unlike nearly all others, this bird prefers plains and cultivated 

 fields, and is one of the species which has not decreased in numbers on account of the extension 

 of cultivation and the settlement of the country. On the contrary it appears to be quite at 

 home in the farm lands, and rears its young in the fields of grass and grain in the most populous 

 rural districts of the country. It is^ in a considerable measure, a favorite with the people and 

 seldom molested. 



This species is extensively diffused, and though at home in the northern division of this 

 continent, wanders over nearly the whole of South America. It is well described by Azara as 

 a bird of Paraguay. We have never seen this bird from west of the Kocky mountains. 



The generic name Bartramia, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. I, p. 553, (1831,) is that having priority 



of all others proposed for this species, and is a just compliment to one of the most liberal and 



accomplished of the earlier American naturalists. This name is, however, previously used in 



botany, and probably ought not to be again employed in zoology, though we confess to being 



strongly inclined to adopt it, notwithstanding, following in that respect tlie example of Mr. 



Gray, of the British Museum, in his Catalogue of the Genera and Sub-genera of Birds, p. 117, 



(1855.) 



List of specimens. 



Locality. 



Carlisle, Vn 



do 



Indian Key, Fla 



Shawnee Mission, K. T. 



Rcpnltlican river. 



Lnuji Fork 



Fort Pierre 



Fort Union, Neb. 

 Medicine Hill ... . 

 Loup Fork 



.do., 



Flalte river 



do 



Elk creek, Med. Bow nits. 



Wllen col- 

 lected. 



May 20, 1845 

 July 15, 18)3 



July 4, IB.'i? 



June 15, 1857 



April 26, 1855 

 July — , 1855 



July 7 



July 21 



July 7 



....do 



Aug. 4, 1857 



Whence obtained. 



S. F. Baird 



do 



G. Wurdemann . . 

 Wm. M. Masravv 



Lieut. Bryan. ., 

 Lieut. Warren.. 

 Col. Vaughan.. 

 do 



Lieut. Warren. 



d< 



do 



do 



do 



Lieut. Bryan. 



Orig. 

 No. 



Collected by— 



Dr. Cooper .. 



W. S. Wood. 

 Dr. Hnyden ., 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



w. a. Wood.. 



Length. 



11.00 

 12.00 



11,75 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



21.25 



si.m 



Wing. 



6.56 

 0.40 



21.00 



12.00 

 12,75 

 12. CO 

 12.25 

 12.50 



S2.00 



22.00 

 23.75 

 23 00 

 22,50 

 22.00 



7.50 



6.75 

 6 00 

 6.25 

 6.50 

 6.25 



Iris brown, hill bl'k A 

 yellow, feel green. 



Iris dark brown . 

 do 



