272. 
273. 
274. 
FRINGILLIDA: FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, ETC. 381 
ashy parts of domestica replaced by pale brownish. Back bright bay, with black streaks and 
some pale flaxen edgings ; inner secondaries similarly variegated ; tips of median and greater 
coverts forming whitish cross-bars. Size of domestica, but more nearly the colors of monticola. 
Length 5.25-5.75; extent 7.75-8.40 ; wing 2.30-2.50 ; tail quite as much, or more, thus not 
shorter than wing, as it is in the last. Sexes alike ; young fora short time streaked below, as 
usual in Spizella. Eastern U.S., strictly ; hardly N. throughout New England, W. only to the 
edge of the Plains; migratory ; breeds usually from Virginia northward, and winters from the 
same southward; very abundant in fields, copses, and hedges, in flocks when not breeding. 
Nest indifferently in low bushes or on ground ; eggs whitish, fully speckled with rusty-brown, 
0.68 & 0.50. 
S. pal/lida. (Lat. pallida, pale.) CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. Crown and back clay-colored 
or flaxen, distinctly streaked with black, without evident bay, the dorsal streaks noticeably 
separated from those of the crown, by an ashier, less streaked, cervical interval ; rump brown- 
ish-gray. Crown divided by a pale median stripe; a distinet whitish superciliary line; loral 
and auricular regions decidedly brown, with a dark postocular stripe over the auriculars, and 
another from the angle of the mouth, bounding the brown area inferiorly ; below this a dusky 
maxillary streak ; wing-coverts and inner secondaries variegated like the back, being black with 
broad flaxen-brown edging and whitish tipping. Below, white, soiled with eclay-color. Biil 
dusky above, pale below ; feet pale. Small: Length 5.00-5.25, rarely 5.50; extent 7.40-7.75 
rarely 8.00; wing and tail, each, about 2.50. Young birds lightly streaked below. Central 
region of the U. 8. into British America, Saskatchewan and Red River regions; 8. to Texas; 
E. to Iowa and Illinois. Abundant; nest in bushes close to ground; eggs 3-4, pale green 
sparsely speckled with rich brown ; 0.62 x 0.50. 
S. brew’eri. (To Dr. T. M. Brewer, of Boston.) BREwER’s SPARROW. Similar; paler and 
duller, all the markings indistinct; streaks of crown and back small, numerous, not separated 
by a cervical interval; no definite markings on sides of head. Upper parts grayish-brown, 
with marked dorsal area of brighter brown, and continuously streaked from head to tail. Size 
of the last, but tail relatively longer, exceeding the wings 
it does not somewhat exceed, that of domestica, although the latter is a larger bird. South- 
western U. S., especially New Mexico and Arizona; said to have occurred in Massachusetts ; 
about 2.66 long, thus equalling, if 
habits those of pallida; nest and eggs indistinguishable. 
S. atrigula/ris. (Lat. atrigularis, black-throated; ater, black; gula, throat.) BLAcK~ 
CHINNED Sparrow. 4, adult: Dark ash, fading insensibly into whitish on the belly, 
deepening to black on the face and throat; interscapulars bright bay, streaked with black ; 
wing-coverts and inner secondaries variegated with the same colors ; tail blackish, with pale edg- 
ings ; bill coral red as in S. agrestis; feet dark brown. A small-bodied species, but full 6.00 
long, on account of the great 
length of the tail (2.75-3.00), 
which much exceeds the wings 
(2.25-2.50; extent 7.75). The 
young lack black on the face, 
have the crown washed with 
ashy-brown, the middle of the 
back duller chestnut, and the 
bill dusky above ; but may be 
known by the length of the tail. 
G2 tae d ‘ Fic. 240.— Crown Sparrow, 
throated), nat. size. (Ad nat. del. Mexico, Lower California, Ari- (white-crowned), nat. size. (Ad. 
E. C.) zona. nat. del. E. C.) 
Fic. 2389.— Crown Sparrow (white- 
ZONOTRICH'IA. (Gr. (vn, zone, a girdle, band; rprxias, trichias, name of a bird. Figs. 
239, 240.) CRowN Sparrows. Embracing our largest and handsomest sparrows, 6.50 to 
