520 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The eggs, five in lumiber, have a liglit clay-colored ground, are marked 

 with obscure blotches of lavender and darker lines, dots, and blotches of 

 dark purplish-brown. They measure .80 by .65 of an inch. 



Plectrophanes ornatus, Towns. 



CHESTNUT-COLLARED BUNTING ; BLACK-BELLIED LONGSPUR. 



Plectrophanes oriuitus, Townsend, J. Ac. Nat. Sc. VII, 1837, 189. — Ib. Narrative, 1839, 344. 

 — AuD. Syn. 1839, 99. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 53, pi. cliv. — Nutt. Man. I, (•2d 

 ed.,) 1840, 537. — Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 435. Emberiza ornata, Aun. Orn. Biog. 

 V, 1839, 44, pi. cccxciv, f. 1. Ce^itrophancs ornaius, Cabani.s, Mus. Heiii. 1851, 127. 



Sp. Char. Bill dark plumbeous. Male. Crown, a narrow crescent on the side of the 

 head, with a line running into it from behind the eye, entire breast and upper part of 

 belly all round, black: throat and sides of the head, lower part of belly and under tail- 

 coverts, with bases of the tail-feathers, white. The white on the tail-feathers runs for- 

 ward as an acute point. A chestnut band on the back of the neck extending round on 

 the sides. Rest of upper parts grayish-brown, streaked with darker. Middle coverts 

 with a white patch. Lesser wing-coverts like the back. Legs dusky, bill blue, darker at 

 tip. Length about 5.25 inches ; wing, 3.20 ; tail, 2.30; tarsus, .75. 



Female lacking the black and chestnut colors; the black of the breast indicated by 

 dusky streaks and a line of streaks each side of the throat. 



Hab. Plains of the Upper Missouri. San Antonio, Texas, spring (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 

 48G). 



Habits. This species was first discovered by Mr. Townsend, who pro- 

 cured a single specimen, a male, on the Upper Missouri Kiver. He describes 

 it as by no means a common bird, keeping in pairs and living exclusively on 

 the ground. It was remarkably shy, and Mr. Townsend was not able to pro- 

 cure more than a single sj)ecimen. 



Mr. Xuttall states that he met with this bird early in May, on the wide 

 grassy plains of the Platte. The birds were already paired for the season. 

 He lieard them utter no notes other than a chirp, as they kept busily foraging 

 for their subsistence. 



Mr. J. A. Allen (American Naturalist, May, 1872) speaks of this bird and 

 the Lark Bunting as by far the most interesting species seen by him in 

 Western Kansas. They were not only characteristic of the region, but were 

 also among the few birds strictly confined to the arid plains. They were 

 quite abundant, but were only met with on the high ridges and dry plateaus, 

 where they seemed to live somewhat in colonies. At a few localities they 

 were always numerous, but elsewhere would be frequently not met with in 

 a whole day's drive. They were very wary and tenacious of life, often flying 

 a long distance after liaving been shot through vital parts. Most of the 

 specimens had to be killed on the wing, at a long range. They are strong 

 fliers, and seem to delight in flying in the strongest gales, when all the other 

 birds appear to move with difficulty, and to keep themselves concealed among 

 the grass. This bird sings while on the wing. 



