556 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Coturniculus passerinus, vai. perpallidus, Eidgway. 



WESTERN YELLOW-WINGED BUNTING. 



Coturniculus passerinus, v&r. 2}erpullidus, Ridgway, Rei^ort of U. S. Geol. Expl. 40tli Par. 

 Coturnicuhos 2^a,sserinus, Co(jpek, Orn. Cal. I, 189. 



Sp. Cn.\R. Adult (No. 58,G05 $, Antelope I., Great Salt Lake, June 4, 1869; U. S. 

 Geol. Expl. 40th parallel) similar to var. passerinus, but the light tints above prevailing, 

 the ground a pale ash-color, and the chestnut spots in excess of the black ones. Specks 

 on the nape very minute. Buff tinge to cheeks, throat, and jugulum so faint as to be 

 scarcely appreciable. Wing, 2. GO; tail, 1.90; bill, .33 from frontal feathers by .24 in 

 depth at base ; tarsus, .70. Young (No. 53,942 Ruby Valley, Nev., July 22, 1868) diflfering 

 from young of var. passerinus in a predominance of the light, instead of the dark, mark- 

 ings on upper surface, streaks across breast so faint as to be just appreciable, instead of 

 distinct, and nearly black. 



Hab. Western Province of United States, from eastern base of Rocky Mountains to 

 the Pacific. 



This very appreciably different race replaces the restricted var. jMssermus, 

 in the AVestern Province of the United States. In its paler colors and 

 much more slender Ijill than its eastern representative, it agrees with Passer- 

 culus alaudinus, Poocaies confinis, etc., as compared with P. savanna, P. gra- 

 mineus, etc. It is to this race that the biographical notes in the preceding 

 article refer, as far as based on western specimens. 



Genus AMMODROMUS, Swainson. 

 Ammodromus, Swaixsox, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827. (Type, Oriolus caudacutus, Gm.) 



Gen. Char. Bill very long, slender, and attenuated, considerably curved towards the 

 tip above. The gonys straight. A decided lobe in middle of cutting edge of upper bill. 

 The legs and toes are very long, and reach considerably beyond the tip of the short tail. 

 The tarsus is about equal to the elongated middle toe ; the lateral toes equal, their claws 

 fiilling considerably short of the base of the middle one; the hind claw equal to the 

 lateral one. Wings short, reaching only to the base of the tail ; much rounded ; the 



secondaries and tertials equal, and not much 

 shorter than the primaries. The tail is rather 

 shorter than the wings, and graduated laterally ; 

 each feather stiffened, lanceolate, and acute. 



Color. Streaked above and across the breast ; 

 very faintly on the sides. 



The essential characters consist in the 

 slender and elongated bill ; the long legs 

 reaching considerably beyond the tail, 

 with the lateral claws falling considera- 

 bly short of the middle one ; and the 

 very short rounded wings, rather longer than the cuneate tail, with its stif- 

 fened and lanceolate feathers. 



Ammodromus caudacutus 



