FRINaiLLID.1^. — THE FINCHES. 579 



emarginate and rounded. Feathers ratliei- narrow ; oval at the end. No streaks on the 

 head or body ; color above uniform on the head, back, or rump, separately or on all to- 

 gether. Belly white ; outer tail-feathers white. Young birds streaked above and below. 



The essential cliaractevs of this genus are the middle toe rather sliorter 

 than the short tarsus ; the lateral toes slightly unequal, the outer reaching 

 the base of the middle claw ; the tail a little shorter than the wings, slightly 

 emarginate. In Junco cincrcus the claws are longer ; the lower mandible a 

 little lower than the upper. 



Species and Varieties. 



Common Charactkrs. Prevailing color plumbeous; abdomen, crissum, and 

 lateral tail-feathers white. 



A. Bill entirely light flesh-colored, dusky only at extreme point. Color of 

 jugulum (deep ash or plumbeous-black) abruptly defined against the pure 

 white of the abdomen. 



a. Posterior outline of the dark color of the jugulum convex ; sides 

 pinkish. 



1. J. oregonus. Back and wings more or less tinged with dark 

 rusty, in .sliarp contrast with the black { ^) or ash (9 ) of the head 

 and neck. Hah, Pacific Province of North America, from Sitka 

 southward ; east across the Middle Province of United States, to 

 the Rocky Mountains (where mixed with J. caniceps^) occasionally 

 to the Plains (where mixed with /. hyemaJis^). 



b. Posterior outline of the dark color of the jugulum concave ; sides ashy. 



2. J. hyemalis. Back and wings without rusty tinge. 



Wing without any white ; thi'ee outer tail-feathers only, 

 marked with white. Bill, .40 and .25; wing, 3.10; tail, 2.80; 

 tarsus, .80. Hab. Eastern Province North America. Straggling 

 west to Arizona (Coues) ; in the northern Rocky Mountains, 

 mixed with J. oregonus ..... var. ht/ emalis . 



Wing with two white bands (on tips of middle and greater 

 coverts) ; four outer tail-feathers marked witli white. Bill, .50 

 and .30; wing, 3.40; tail, 3.20. Hab. High mountains of 

 Colorado (El Paso Co., Aiken) .... \m: aikeni . 



3. J. caniceps. Back (interscapulars) rufous; scapulars and wings 

 uniform ashy. Hab. Central Rocky Mountains of United States. 

 (Along southern "boundary mixed with J. cinereus.^) 



^ Hybrid between oregonus and caniceps, = " annectens," Baird, Geol. Surv. Cal. Oni. I, 

 p. 564. 



Char. Pinkish sides and convex outline to ash of breast, as in oregmms, with the bright 

 rufous back and ashy head, with black lores of caniceps ; a tendency in the rufous of back to 

 tinge the wings, as in oregomis. Hab. Southern Rocky Mountains. (Fort Whipple, Arizona, 

 CouES ; Fort Bridger, Wyoming, Drexler ; Fort Burgwyn, IMountains of Colorado, Aiken.) 



' Hybrid between hyemalis and oregonus. 



Char. Plumbeous back of hyemalis, with pinkish sides of oregonus ; or else reddish back of 

 oregomis and plumbeous sides of hyemalis, or colors mixed both above and below. Hab. Sun 

 Kiver, Dakota ; McKenzie River District ? Fort AVhijiple, Arizona ; and Fort Bridger, Wyoming. 



^ Hybrid between caniceps and chureus, = " ilorsolis," Henry, Pr. Phil. Ac. 1858, 117; 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, -467. 



Char. Rufous restricted to interscapular region, as in the former, with black uj>per mandible, 

 and pale ash throat of the latter. Hab. Fort Tiiorn, New Mexico. 



