245. 
248. 
249. 
246. 
247. 
250. 
_drop-like spots.) OREGON SONG SPARROW. 
B72 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSERES— OSCINES. 
out its range, wintering nearly throughout ; one of the common winter sparrows of the Middle 
States. A very abundant bird everywhere in shygpbery and tangle, garden, orchard, and park, 
as well as swamp and brake. A hearty, a... whose quivering pipe is often tuned 
to the most dreary scenes ; the lipid notes being one of the few snatches of bird melody that 
enlivens winter. Nesting various, ina bush near the ground, ora grass tuft, or on the ground : 
eggs 4-6, 0.75-0.55 x 0.55-0.60, greenish or grayish-white, endlessly varied with browns, from 
reddish to chocolate as surface-markings, and lavender or purplish shell-markings, either 
speckled, blotched, or clouded: no general effect describable in few words. Two or three 
broods may be reared. 
M. f. fallax. (Lat. fallax, fallacious, deceitful: well named.) GRAy Sone SPARROW. 
Extremely similar; the first and least departure from fasciata, and searcely distinguishable ; 
tail rather longer; tone of upper parts paler, : 
grayer ; the streaks not so obviously blackish 
in the centre and with less rufous; obsolete 
on rump. Southern Rocky Mt. region and 
Great Basin. 
M. f. heer‘manni. (To Dr. A. L. Heer- 
mann.) HEERMANN’s SONG SPARROW. Sim- 
ilar: tone of upper parts grayish, the streaks 
numerous, broad, distinct, with little rufous 
and mostly lacking pale edging, obsolete on 
the rump. Size of fasciata. California. 
M. f. samue'lis. (To E. Samuels.) SAMUELS’ 
Sone SPARROW. Similar to the last, in dis- 
tinctness of the black streaks, which are not 
dbsolete on rump; tone of upper-parts ashy- 
gray. Very small, scarcely 5.00; wing 2.00; 
tail 2.30. California coast. 
M. f. gutta'ta. (Lat. guttata, marked with 
Decidedly different. The streaking diffuse, 
the streaks above and below dark rufous- 
brown, without black centres or pale edges. _ FiG 234.—Song Sparrow, reduced. (Sheppard del. 
i =: Nichols se. ) 
Coloration blended, the general tone ruddy ; 
under parts extensively shaded with brownish, except on belly. About the size of fasciata, 
or rather larger. Pacific coast, U. 8. and British Columbia. This form was recognized as dis- 
tinct by Audubon, who wrongly called it Fringilla cinerea Gm. ; and by Nuttall, whe named 
it F’. guttata, and compared it with the fox sparrow, from its resemblance in color tu Passerella 
thaca. 
M. f. rufiina. (Lat. rufina, reddish.) Rusty Sona Sparrow. Quite like guttata; larger. 
and darker; tone of upper parts smoky-brown, the streaking very dark. Wing and tail about 
3.00. Pacific coast, British Columbia and northward. (Combined by Baird with the last, 
under name of M. rufina.) 
M. cine’rea. (Lat. cinerea, ashy.) CINEREOUS SonG SPARROW. KApDIAK SONG SPARROW. 
Peculiar in size, shape, and color. Above, brownish slate-color, more rufous on wings, the 
streaking broad and blended, very dark. Below, plumbeous-whitish, shaded with brown on 
sides, the streaks broad, diffuse, and dark. Spring and fall plumages differ much, but the bird 
may be recognized by its great size. Length about 7.00; wing 3.30; tail 3.50; bill very long, 
slender for its length; culmen about 0.60; depth at base 0.30. Kadiak, Alaska; Aleutian 
Islands. (Fringilla cinerea Gm. M. insignis Ba.) 
