SPIZELLA MONTICOLA : TREE SPARROW. 263 



OREGON SNOW-BIRD. 



JUNCO OREGONUS (^ToWHS.) Scl. 



Chars. Head and neck all around, and breast, black ; middle of 

 back dull reddish-brown, and wings much edged with the same ; 

 below, from the breast, abruptly white, tinged on the side with 

 pale reddish-brown. In the female and young the black is ob- 

 scured by brownish, but the species may always be distinguished 

 by an evident contrast in color between the interscapulars and 

 head, and the fulvous wash on the sides. Size of the preceding. 



This well-known Western species has once occurred 

 in New England, where its appearance is of course 

 entirely exceptional, like that of Tm-diis ncsvms or 

 Chondcstcs grammicus. A specimen, the identity of 

 which seems to have been placed beyond question, 

 was shot at Watertown, Mass., March 25, 1874, ^^ 

 recorded by Mr. Brewster in the Bulletin of the Nut- 

 tall Ornithological Club, i, April, 1S76, p. 19. 



TREE SPARROW. 



SpIZELLA MONTICOLA {Gm.) Bd. 



Chars. Crown chestnut, in the adult, without black on the fore- 

 head ; in immature and winter specimens the feathers are usually 

 skirted with gray. Upper mandible black, lower mostly yellow ; 

 legs brown, toes black. A grayish supraciliary and loral line, 

 with some chestnut marks on the side of the head. Under parts 

 whitish, tinged with ash anteriorly, washed with brown on the 

 flanks ; a dusky blotch on the breast. Middle of back boldly 

 streaked with black, bay, and flaxen ; middle and lesser wing- 

 coverts black, edged with bay and tipped with white, forming two 

 cross-bars. A handsome Sparrow, largest of the genus, about 

 equalling a Snow-bird in size. 



