FEINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 537 



Passerculus savanna, vai. alaudinus, Bonap. 



WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW. 



Passerculus alaudinus, Bp. Comptes Rendus, XXXVII, Dec. 1853, 918, Caliibniia. — Ib. 

 Notes Oniithologidiues Delattre, 1854, 18 (reprint of iireceding). — Baird, Birds N. Am. 

 18.58, 446, pi. xlvi. — Cooper & Suckley, 197, pi. xxviii, f. 2. — Elliot, Illu.st. Am. 

 B. III. — l).\LL & Bannister., Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 1869, 284 (Alaska). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 

 I, 181. Passerculus savanna and P. anthiiius, D.vll & Bannister, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 

 1869, pp. 283, 284. 



Sp. Char. Similar to P. savanna, but smaller ; the bill slenderer and more elongated. 

 J.ittle of yellow in the snperciliary stripe (most distinct anteriorly) ; the rest of the head 

 A\'ithout any tinge of the same. General color much paler and grayer than in P. savanna. 

 Breast with only a few spots. Length, 5.25 ; wing, 2.75 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hab. Middle and Western Provinces of North A merica ; south to Orizaba, north to 

 Alaska (Kodiak) and the Arctic coast. Oaxaca (Sol. Oct.) ; Vera Cruz (winter, Sumi- 

 ciirast). 



This westei'ii race of P. savanna is smaller, considerably paler in general 

 colors, the superciliary stripe with little yellow in it, and the bill more 

 slender, and longer. In coloration, some Atlantic coast specimens often 

 exhibit an approximation, especially in the pale tint of the superciliary 

 stripe ; but the bill is always decidedly more attenuated in alaudinus. 



The Western Savanna Sparrow is a common species throughout the West- 

 ern Province of North America, from the j^lains to California, and from 

 Alaska to Mexico. In California it ajjpears to be replaced along the Pacific 

 coast by the variety anthinus, a quite different and very local form. In 

 Alaska, specimens were obtained by the naturalists of the Russian Tele- 

 graph Expedition at various localities, chiefly in the interior, and on the 

 Yukon it was obtained by Mr. Lockhart. Dr. Cooper found it at Fort 

 Steilacoom, in Washington Territory, where it was in company with P. sand- 

 ivichensis, in the wet meadows. In California this species inhabits chiefly, 

 according to Dr. Cooper, the dry plains of the interior of the State. The 

 statement of the occurrence of this form anywhere along the coast of Cali- 

 fornia should be received with considerable doubt, since in the large series 

 of these birds all specimens from this region are of the variety anthinus, 

 an exclusively littoral type. 



Habits. The AVestern Savanna, Sparrow was found throughout the Great 

 Ijasin, by Mr. Ridgway, in all wet, grassy situations, in which preference it 

 is like its eastern relative. It was very abundant at Carson City, inhabiting 

 exclusively the meadows. At Salt Lake City it was also very abundant, 

 frequenting the wet meadows near the -L^rdan. 



This bird was also obtained at Sitka by Pischoff, and was found on the 

 Yukon by Air. Lockliart. It is tlic only species found in the Valley of the 

 Mackenzie, up to the Arctic coast. 



Dr. Cooper also met with it among the low meadows of Washington Ter- 

 68 



