466 ORNITHOLOGY. 



POOECETES GKAMINEUS. 

 Bay winged Bunting:; Orass Bunting; Vesper Sparrow. 



/?. confinis. 



Poocceics gramineus var. confinis, Bated, B. N. Am., 1858, 448 (in text, sub P. gram- 

 ineus).— Coves, Key, 1872, 136; Check List, 1872, No. 161a.— B, B. & E., 

 Hist. N; Am. B., I, 1874, 545 (sub P. 5rra?«i/teMs).— Henshaw, 1875, 256. 



Pocecetes gramineus. Cooper, Oru. Cal., I, 1870, 186. 



This common species was most frequently met with during the summer 

 on the open grassy slopes of the higher canons, where it and the Green- 

 tailed Bunting were the chief songsters. Its song is sweet and varied, 

 though simple and brief, and its clear, cheery notes are among our most 

 pleasant recollections of those elevated regions. In the fall it descends to 

 the lower valleys, and in September becomes exceedingly abundant among 

 the rye-grass meadows along the foot-hills of the higher ranges. In winter 

 it appears to make a complete southward migration, none having been seen 

 at Carson City until the first of April. 



List of specimens. 



483, 9 ad.; Carson City, Nevada, April 2, 1868. 6|— 11 1— 3/^^—3. Upper man- 

 dible, dull brownisliplinnbeous, tomium paler; rictus and whole lower mandible, dilute 

 brownish-lilaceous ; iris, raw-umber; tarsi and toes, dilute brownish, toes darkest. 



902, $ ad.; Secret Valley, Nevada, September 0, 1868. 6|— lO^— ('0— 2f . Upper 

 mandible, umber-brown, darker at point, paler on rictus ; lower, pale, iieshy lilaceous- 

 brown, the extreme tip dusky; iris, vaudyke; tarsi, clear brownish-white ; toes, sim- 

 ilar but stained with brownish. 



1037, 8 ad.; Salt Lake City, Utah, May 24, 1869. 6f— 10§. Bill, brownish-lilace- 

 ous, upper half of upper mandible nearly black ; iris, brown ; tarsi and toes, lilaceous 

 brownish-white. 



1233, nest and eggs (3) ; Parley's Park, June 23, 1869. Nest on ground, beneath 

 prostrate sage-bush, by roadside. 



1280, nest and eggs (3) ; Parley's Park, Wahsatch Mountains, June 25, 1869. 

 Nest in grassy bank of brook. 



1398, nest and egg (1) ; Parley's Park, July, 1869. Nest on ground beneath sage- 

 bush. 



liGi, ijuv.; Parley's Park, July 28, 1869. 6/^— llj. Bill, clear light lilaceous, 

 darker toward culmen ; iris, brown ; tarsi and toes, clear pale flesh-color. 



