524 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



season, to the uortlieru bouudaiy of the United States. It was first discov- 

 ered by Captain Maccown, who obtained it in Texas, where he found it 

 in company with a liock of Shore Larks, and where it winters in consider- 

 able numbers. Mr. Dresser afterward met with it in small flocks, early in 

 April, on the prairies near San Antonio. It was not very common, and he 

 was only able to obtain two specimens during his stay in that section. 



Dr. Heermann found this species. congregated in large flocks, in company 

 with the Black-shouldered Bunting. They were engaged in gleaning the 

 seeds from the scanty grass, on the vast arid plains of New Mexico. . Insects 

 and berries formed also a part of their food ; in search of these they showed 

 great activity, running about with celerity and ease. In the spring, large 

 flocks were seen at Fort Thorn, having migrated thither from the North 

 the previous fall. With the return of mild weather they again departed 

 for the North for the purposes of incubation. Among these large flocks Dr. 

 Heermann noticed also the Shore Lark, but they formed only a small pro- 

 portion of the whole number. 



In a letter to Mr. Cassin, Dr. Heermann states that he found this species 

 cono-retrated with large numbers of other birds about the isolated water-holes 

 in the barren plains of New Mexico. 



Mr. J. A. Allen states (Am. Nat., May, 1872) that, during a few weeks' stay 

 near Fort Hays in midwinter, he found Maccown's Longspur tolerably fre- 

 quent in that vicinity. 



An egg of this species, in the collection of the late Dr. Henry Bryant, 

 measures .80 by .60 of an inch. Its ground-color is a light bluish clay-color, 

 marbled, dotted, blotched, and lined with light neutral tints of lavender and 

 darker markings of purplish and reddish brown. The nest was placed on 

 the ground, and is composed entirely of coarse grass-stems (No. 3,521, J. 

 Pearsall, Fort Benton). 



Subfamily PYRGITIN^. 



The introduction into the United States, at so many distant points, of the 

 European House Sparrow {Pyrgita domestica) renders it necessary to intro- 

 duce it with any work treating of tlie birds of North America, although 

 totally diflerent in so many features from our own native forms. I fol- 

 low Degland and Gerbe in placing the genus Pyrgita in a separate sulj- 

 family {Pyrgitinm, see page 446), without any distinct idea of its true 

 aftinities, as it does not come legitimately within any of the subfamilies 

 established for the American genera. In some respects similar to certain 

 Coccothraustince, in the short tarsi and covered nostrils, the wings are shorter 

 and more rounded, the sides of the bill with stiff bristles, etc. The much 

 larger, more vaulted bill, weaker feet, and covered nostrils, distinguish it from 

 Spizellincc. 



