o50 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Coturniculus henslowi, Bonap. 



HENSLOW'S BUNTING. 



Ember iza hcnslovji, AtiD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 360, pi. Ixxvii. — Ib. Syn. 1839, 104. — Ib. 

 Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 75, pi. clxiii. — Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, App. C'otur7iiculus 

 henslowi, Bon. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 481. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 451. — Maynard, Birds E. Mass. 1870, 117. — Samuels, 306. Fringilla henslowi, 

 Nuttall, Man. 1, (2d ed.,) 1840, 571. 



Sp. Char. Upper parts yellowish-brown, the hood, neck, and upper parts of back 



tinged with greenish-yellow. Interscapular feathers 

 _" ^ dark brown, suffused externally with bright brownish- 



red; each feather with grayish borders. Tertiaries, 

 rump, and tail-feathers abruptly dark chestnut-brown, 

 darkest centrally, paler externally, and narrowly mar- 

 gined with gray. Crown with a Inroad black spotted 

 stripe on each side ; these spots continued down to the 

 back. Two narrow black mandibular stripes and one 

 post-ocular on each side of the head, and an obscure 

 black crescent or spot behind the auriculars. Under 

 parts light brownish-yellow, paler on the throat and 

 abdomen. The jugulum, upper part of the breast, and 

 the sides of the body, conspicuously streaked Avith 

 black. Edge of wing yellow. A strong tinge of 

 pale chestnut on the wings and tail. The median 

 tail-feathers and upper coverts chestnut or rufous 



brown, with sharply defined shaft-streaks of black. Length, 5.25; wing, 2.15; tail, 2.15. 

 Hab. Eastern United States as far north as Massachusetts ; westward to the Loup 



Fork of Platte. 



This species is related to C. passerimis, but readily distinguished by the 

 well-marked stripes on breast and sides, the greenish-yellow, not chestnut- 

 brown, of head and nape, and the two mandibular dusky stripes. The mid- 

 dle tail-feathers are reddish with only a very narrow sharply defined inediaji 

 shaft-streak of black, instead of having the greater portion of the centre 

 dusky with scalloped edges. I have not seen young birds, but they probably 

 differ little from the adults. 



Habits. The history and general distribution of Henslow's Bunting is 

 still somewhat imperfectly known. Mr. Audubon first met with it, in 1820, 

 in Kentucky, nearly opposite to Cincinnati. It was seen on the ground, 

 amongst the tall grass, and is said to have exhibited all the peculiarities of 

 this tribe. He was afterwards informed that this bird is abundant in the 

 State of New Jersey, and that it breeds there ; and in evidence of this he 

 mentions receiving a specimen from Dr. Trudeau, obtained by that gentle- 

 man himself. Mr. Audubon also mentions that both Dr. Baclmian and he 

 have procured a great number in South Carolina, where they abound, in the 

 latter part of autumn, and where, also, a portion remain during the winter. 

 In Florida, Mr. Audubon again met with tliese birds in the winter. They 



CuturniciilU!, pa'iii'riniti, 



