2^4 Dwigiit on a New Race of Sharp-tailed Sparrow. [J"ly 



stead of grayish. Wing, 54.1; tail, 44.7; tarsus, 19.8; middle toe and 

 claw, 21.3; bill from nostril, 8.9. 



Adult $ and ? /'// autumn (Nos. 1500, $ , and 1502, $, same locality 

 and collector, Sept. 30, 1SS6) :— Coloring everywhere richer, graver, and 

 greener than inbreeding dress, but streaking fainter and grayer. Above 

 rich greenish-gray, the dorsal feathers and scapulars greenish-brown 

 (instead of nearly black), flecked with dusky, and edged with delicate 

 pearl-gray (instead of whitish). Tertials, secondaries, and wing-coverts 

 russet, ^dgcd like the female in breeding dress. Primaries nearly black, 

 edged exteriorly with bright olive-green nearly to tips, except first prim- 

 ary, which is edged with white. The brown of the head and the gray of 

 the median line and neck are richer, and the cervical collar greener. 

 Superciliary stripe intensified into a yellow spot on the eye-brow. A deep 

 greenish wash above the eye extends backward and loses itself in the 

 superciliary stripe. The buff of the breast and sides is brighter, and the 

 streaking is pale lead gray in broader stripes. Edge of wing bright yel- 

 low. Lesser wing-coverts and alulae edged with yellowish-green, the 

 Longest feather of the alula dusky, edged with white. 



Toungofthe year: — Identical in plumage with autumn adults, but with 

 slightly smaller bill. 



Toung, first plumage (No. 1240 J, same locality and collector, July 

 IS, 1S86) : — General color chestnut-buff, darker above and variegated 

 with black. Traces of two or three faint dusky streaks on sides. Dor- 

 sal feathers, tertials, wing-coverts, and stripes on the head, black with 

 chestnut-buff edging. Primaries and secondaries black, faintly edged 

 with ashy. Traces of dusky auriculars and post-ocular streak. Tail 

 similar to adult but edged with buff. This plumage is worn until the 

 autumn dress of the adult is assumed.* 



Habitat. Marshes of southern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, 

 and probably Nova Scotia, and southward in migration along the Atlan- 

 tic coast. 



Measurements. Twenty-live $ and thirteen $, all adults, show the 

 following averages and extremes : Length, t $ H 2 -5 (I35-9-H7-3) ; ? b3 s -4 

 (135.9-141.); extentf # 201.7 (193.-209.6) ; ? u J--3 (i9°'5- l 95- 6 ) 5 wirt g> 

 £58.2(55.6-59.7); ?54-6 (52.8-56.1): tail, J50.5 (47.2-53.3); ? 46.7 

 (42.9-50.3): tarsus, 20.8 (19-8-21.6) : bill from feathers, 11.7 (10. 4-12. 5), 

 from nostril, S.S (S- 1.91), depth at nostril, 5.3, width, 3.S4 



* Compare first plumage of A. caudacutus (Brewster, Bull. N. O. C, III, 1878, 119). 

 Seven specimens that I have examined all show more or less distinct streaking. 



t Fresh specimens — 11 males, 4 females. 



X The following measurements will prove useful for comparison : .-/. caudacutus, 34 

 adults: Length, male, 149.1 (144.8-157.5) ; female, 135.9 (129.5-142.2) : extent, male, 

 205.7(203.2-213.4) ; female, 191 (177.8-200.7) : wing, male, 58.7 (57.2-62.) ; female, 55.6 

 (53.6-57.4) : tail, male, 48.5 (43.9-52.1); female, 47 (44.5-50.3) : tarsus, 20.6 (19.3-21.8) : 

 bill from feathers, 12.2 (11.4-13.2), from nostril, 9.4 (8.9-10.2), depth at nostril, 5.3,: 

 width, 4.1. 



A. c. nelsoni, 24 adults : Length, male, 140.2 (134.6-144.8) ; female, 135.9 (134 .6-137.2) 



