54 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Passerella townsendi. 



Hab. Pacific coast of United States, as far south as Sacramento, and Fort Tejon ? 

 north to Kodiak (and Unalaschka ?). 



This species differs a good deal in form from F. iliaca. Tlie claws are 



much larger and stouter, the wing 

 a good deal shorter and more 

 rounded. The difierences in color 

 are very appreciable, the tints being 

 dark sepia-brown instead of red, 

 and perfectly uniform above, not 

 spotted ; the under parts much 

 more thickly spotted. 



Specimens from Alaska show a 

 tendency to longer and perhaps 

 more slender bills. Some are 

 rather more rufous-brown than the 

 type ; others have a faint tinge of ashy anteriorly, although scarcely ap- 

 preciable. This is especially noticeable in some skins from Fort Tejon, 

 they being almost exactly intermediate between totvrisendi and schistacea, or 

 vicgarhynclms. 



Young birds are not materially different from the adult, except in having 

 the white of under parts replaced by pale rusty ; the back is rather duller 

 in color, but without spots or stripes of any kind. 



No. 46,620 from British Columbia has the bill much stouter than in the 

 average. 



It is by no means certain, however probable, that this bird is the E. una- 

 laschkcnsis of Gmelin, an important objection being its absence so far in 

 collections received by the Smithsonian Institution from that island. We 

 therefore leave the question open for the present. 



Habits. The history of this western analogue of the Fox-colored Spar- 

 row is still quite imperfectly known. It was first obtained in Oregon by 

 Mr. Townsend, on the 15th of February. He describes it as a very active 

 and a very shy bird, keeping constantly among the low bushes of worm- 

 wood, and on the ground in their vicinity. It was partially gregarious, six 

 or eight being usually seen together. Its call-note was a short, sharp, quick 

 chirp, and it also had occasionally a low weak warble. 



Dr. Ganibel, referring probably to its occurrence in winter in California, 

 speaks of this bird as an abundant resident in that State, which is not cor- 

 rect, it being only a winter visitant, and not abundant south of San Francisco. 

 He describes its habits as very different from those of any other Sparrow, 

 and more like those of a Thrush. It is said to keep in retired bushy places, 

 or in underwood, and was scarcely ever seen except on the ground, and then 

 would scarcely ever be discovered but for the noise it made in scratching 

 among the leaves. It was silent and unsuspicious, and he rarely heard it 

 utter even its occasional chirp. 



