452 NORTH Ail Eli WAX BIRDS. 



a'. Lower parts whitish, the hi-cast (sometimes middle of belly also) bright yellow. 

 Adult male : Lesser and middle wing-coverts rufous; a black patch, of ex- 

 tremely variable shape and extent, on lower part of throat, sometimes con- 

 tinued posteriorly along middle line of breast, or anteriorly to the chin ; 

 breast extensively yellow, the forehead, superciliary stripe, and malar 8tri])e 

 more or less strongly' washed or overlaid by the same. Adult female : Simi- 

 lar to the male, but much duller, the yellow of breast, malar region, and 

 superciliary stripe fainter and more restricted (often wanting except on 

 breast); throat white, bordered along each side by dusky spots or streaks 

 (the black spot of the male usually obsolete, but sometimes indicated). 

 Young : Similar to adult female, but everj-whei-e tinged with dull buffy or 

 pale ochraceous. Length 5.75-G.80, wing 2.80-3.30, tail 2.35-2.90. Kest of 

 dried grass-stems, etc., in meadows and on prairies, in bushes, low weeds, or 

 near ground. Eggs 3-5, .81 X -61, plain pale blue. JIab. Eastern United 

 States (chiefly west of Alleghanies), west to Eockj' Mountains, north to 

 Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota; south, in winter, 

 through Middle America to northern South America; southwest during 

 migrations to Arizona and Lower California. 



604. S. americana (Gjiel.). Dickcissel. 



rt'. Lower parts dark gray, becoming whitish on belly and lower tail-coverts. Adult 

 . male: Plumage of head, neck, and lower parts uniform slate-gray, relieved 

 anteriorly by a distinct superciliary stripe, malar stripe, and broad stripe 

 covering entire chin and throat, white ; the two latter separated bj- a narrow 

 series of black streaks, which continue around jiosterior border of the white 

 throat-patch, in the gray of the chest; upper parts grayish brown, the back 

 and scapulars narrowly streaked with blackish ; belly and lower tail-coverts 

 white, the former tinged with j-cllow; length about 5.75, wing 2.8G, tail 

 2.5G. Jfiih. Chester County, rennsylvania (only one spocimon known). 



— . S. townsendii (Aid.). Townsend's Bunting.' 



Genus CALAMOSPIZA Bonaparte. (Page 384, pi. CXIL, fig. 3.) 



Species. 



Adxdt male in summer : Uniform black, with more or less of a slaty cast, the 

 middle and greater wing-coverts white, forming a ver^' consjiicuous patch on wing. 

 Adult female : Above brownish gray, streaked with dusky, the white wing-patch 

 smaller; lower parts white, streaked on breast and sides with duskj'. Adult male 

 in winter : Similar to adult female, but feathers of lower parts (especially on belly) 

 lilack beneath the sui-face, this showing when feathers are disarranged. Young: 

 Similar to ailull female, but more buff}-, the feathers of upper jiarts bordei-ed with 

 butlV white, and streaks on lower parts narrower. Length 6.12-7.50, wing 3.20- 

 3.60, tail 2.85-3.35. Kest and eggs not distinguishable with certainty from those 

 of Spiza americana, the average measurements of the latter being .87 X -65. Hab. 



» Sec page 354, A. 0. U. Check List. 



