FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 573 



Zonotrichia coronata, Baird. 



GOLDEN-CROWNED SPAKROW. 



Emberiza coronata, Pallas, Zoog. Rosso- Asiat. IF, 1811, 44, plate. Zonotrichia c, Baiud, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 461. — Heerm X, S, 48 (nest). — Cooper & Suckley, 201.— 

 DALL& Bannister, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 1869, 284 (Alaska). —Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 197. 

 Emberiza atricapilla, AuD. Oni. Biog. V, 1839, 47, pi. cccxciv (not of Gmelix). Frin- 

 gilla atricapilla, AuD. Synopsis, 1839, 122. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 162, pi. cxciii. 

 Fringilla aurocapilla, Nuttall, Man. I, (2d. ed.,) 1840, 555. Zonotrichia aurocapilla, 

 Bon. Consp. 1850, 478. — Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route, Rep. P. R. R. VI, iv. 

 1857, 88. Emberiza atricapilla, G.\i. I, 1788, 875 (in part only). — Lath. Ind. 415. 

 Black-crowned Bunting, Pennant, Arc. Zoijl. II, 364. — Lath. II, i, 202, 49, tab. Iv. 



Sp. Char. Hood, frotn bill to upper part of nape, pure black, tlie middle longitudinal 

 third occupied by yellow on the anterior half, and pale ash on the posterior. Sides and 

 under parts of head and neck, with upper part of breast, ash-color, passing insensibly into 

 whitish on the middle of the body ; sides and under tail-coverts tinged with brownish. 

 A yellowish spot above the eye, bounded anteriorly by a short black line from the eye to 

 the black of the forehead. This yellow spot, however, reduced to a few feathers in 

 spring dress. Interscapular region, with the feathers, streaked with dark brown, suffused 

 with dark rufous externally. Two narrow white bands on the wnngs. Bill dusky above, 

 paler beneath ; legs flesh-color. 



Autumnal specimens have more or less of the whole top of head greenish-yellow ; the 

 feathers somewhat spotted with dusky ; the black stripe of the hood reduced to a narrow 

 superciliary line, or else to a spot anterior to the eye. Length about 7 inches ; wing, 

 3.30. 



Hab. Pacific coast from Russian America to Southern California; West Humboldt 

 Mountains, Nev. Black Hills of Rocky Mountains ? 



Habits. This species, described and figured by JNIr. Audubon as the Frin- 

 gilla atricapilla, is found in western North America, from Alaska to South- 

 ern California and Cape St. Lucas, and is almost entirely confined to the 

 Pacific Province, being known east of the Cascade Mountains and Sierra 

 Nevada only as stragglers. In its general habits it is said to greatly resemble 

 the Z. gamheli. In the vicinity of Fort Dalles, and also in the neighborhood 

 of Fort Steilacoom, Dr. Suckley found it quite abundant in the summer. 



Dr. Cooper says that it is only a straggler in the forest regions west of the 

 Cascade Mountains, but that it probably migrates more abundantly to the 

 open plains eastward of them. He met with them but once near Puget 

 Sound, May 10, when they were apparently migrating. Dr. Cooper found a 

 ,few of this species wintering as far south as San Diego, associating with Z. 

 gamheli. They were much less familiar, did not come about tlie houses, but 

 kept among the dense thickets. They were then silent, nor has he ever 

 heard them utter any song. He met with none near the summit of the 

 Sierra Nevada. 



Dr. Newberry found these birds abundant in the vicinity of San Francisco 

 in winter. 



]Mr. Nuttall met with the young birds of tliis species on the central table- 



