APPENDIX. T07 



GENUS XVllI. COTURNICCLrS. THE YELLOW-sIIOl l,!)i;KEl) SPAKROWS. 



(ii.N. Cn. Bill, short and Ihick, considerably swollen al base. Viiperinandihlc, but little curved. Winy s, >r.h::h lor. ijrr 

 than the tail which is a little rounded, and with thcfcatlwrs acuminate. Sternum, stout , with the coracoids much shorter in 

 Irwflh than the top of the keel which is not low, nearly eijualiny in heii/ht one half' the lenyth of the cciracoids. Size, (,vite 

 small. 



All t'le species are streaked above, and some have narrow lines I.olow where there is more or less buff. The edse of the 

 wing is yellow. The feet are- quite small. I do not include Leconte's Bunting under this head, for I think that it should 

 be placed in a separate genus, for which I propose the name, Passcrhcrbulus; for generic characters of which see the forth- 

 coming appendix. 



COTUENICULUS PASSERINUS. 



Yellow-winged Sparrow. 



Cotumiculus passerina Bon., List, 1839. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Form, robast. Size, small. Tongue, short, rather fleshy, provided with a tuft of terminal, hair-like fibers. 

 Sternum, a.s givsn above. 



Color. Adult. Above, including the ■nlngs and tail, dark-brown, with the feathers edged with yellowish-ash, and 

 tipped and edged with dark-chestnut, especially on the neck and back. There is a mediaa line of yellowish-ash extending 

 from the bill tu the occiput, and a superciliary line, the anterior portion of which is orange and the remainder buff. Cnder 

 parts, yellowish-white, with a strong Imffy tinge on the breast, throat, sides of head, sides, flanks, and under tail coverts. 

 Edge of wing and shoulder, yellow. Bill, brown, very much lighter at base of lower mandible. Feet, pale-brown. 



Youny. Similar to the adult, but more reddish above, and the tail feathers, which in the adult are usually edged 

 with nearly a straight line of yellowLsh-ash, show indications of dark brown bars. There are also dusky streakings on the 

 sides of the breast. The anterior portion of the superciliary line is not as yellow. 



Nestlings. Show n) traces of chestnut above, where the feathere are edged with buff and yellowish-white. There are 

 indications of whitish wing bars, and the shoulders show no traces of yellow and the edge of the wing is only tinged with 

 it. There is but little Imff below, but the throat, breast, sides, and flanks are streaked with dark-brown. There is no su- 

 perciliary line. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Specimens which I procured at Key West vary greatly from birds of Massachusetts in being much darker below , especially 

 across the brea-st, wliere there are narrow brownish streakings. There is very little ashy above, wliere the chestnut is very 

 much more prominent, occupying fully one half of the surface. The median line is decidedly buffy and the superciliary line 

 is deep orange. Birds from Jliami are nearly as dark as the above, while those from the more northern .section of Florida 

 are not as dusky and those from Penasylvania are nearly as light as those from Nantucket. Skins from any given locality 

 do not iliffer greatly, as is exhibited in a large series now before me, the principal variation being due to the wearing of the 

 edgas of the fjathers. Known in the adult stage from Henslowi by the absence of streakings below, and from all other.' by 

 the chestnut and ashy above, combined with the yellow and buff superciliary line and short, acuminate tail. Found in 

 summer throughout the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, south of latitude 43^. Winters in the more .Southerr 

 sections. Resident in Florida and on the Keys. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average mea,surements of fifteen specimens. Length, 515; stretch, 8-00; wing, 2'50; tail, I'70; bill, '45; tarsus, -72. 

 Lingest specimen, 5-35; greatest extent of wing, 8'45; longest wing, 2-60; tail, 1-75; bill, "SS; tarsus, "75. Shortest speci- 

 men, 5'00; smallest extent of wing, 7'60; shortest wing, 2'40; tail, I'65; bill, '35; tarsus, •70. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



jYrs/.s, placed on the ground. They are loasely constructed, being composed of dried grass lined with finer. Dimen- 

 > ions; external diameter, 4-()(), internal, 2'50. External depth, 2'00, internal, TOO. 



Eyys, four or five in number, rather oval in form, ashy-white in color, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown and 

 lilac, more thickly on the larger end. 



HABITS. 

 A greater portion of the Island of Nantucket is destitute of trees, being composed of 

 lolling, sandy plains which are covered with short, wiry grass or other herbage, while at 



