i888.] Sennett oil the Peitccea riificefs Group. A\ 



year's plumage, /. e.. in the plumage before the moult of the sec- 

 ond year. Now Mr. Brown's birds, from Kendall Co.. Texas, 

 were taken in January, February, and March, and were identi- 

 cal with the Orizaba skin, as stated in his description of eremceca 

 referred to above. These birds were undoubtedly immature in 

 plumage, although full-grown. I do not see how the Orizaba 

 bird, described and labelled by Mr. Sclater, can be other than 

 Zonotrlchia (now Peuccea) boucardi. Tliere is nothing left 

 therefore but to call eremceca a synonym oi bojicardi and extend 

 the latter's habitat to Central Texas. Having before me a great 

 number of specimens of this group, from widely extended locali- 

 ties, I can more thoroughly establish boucardi. I am also able 

 to separate the Arizona form from boucardi., where it has witli 

 doubt and hesitation been placed. 



Before giving a full description of each of the three races. I 

 will state comprehensively their characteristics and distribution. 



Peuccea ruficeps (Cass.). Small, olive-gray and ferruginous : confined 

 to the Pacific slope. 



Peuccea ruficeps boucardi (Scl.). Large, with long bill; dark gray and 

 reddish brown with dark shaft-lines on back ; confined to the Gulf slope 

 of Mexico and Texas. 



Peuccea ruficeps scoftii. subsp. nov. Large, with short, stout bill ; light 

 ash and chestnut, without olive or ferruginous, and without black shaft- 

 lines on back ; table-lands and mountains of Arizona, New Mexico ( .') and 

 Western Texas (.?). 



I take pleasure in naming this new form for Mr. W. E. D. 

 Scott, in recognition of his excellent work on the ornithology 

 of Arizona. 



Tlie two forms boucardi and scottii seem to meet in that high 

 part of Western Texas that lies between the Pecos and the Rio 

 Gr.uide Rivers. Here the bills of both seem to be blacker, 

 especially on the lower mandible; the wings and tails also seem 

 to be d irker brown than in typical specimens of either form. 



The three forms of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow maybe char- 

 acterized as follows : — 



Peucaea ruficeps {Cass.'). Rufous-crowned Sparrow. 



Adult: Small ; upperparts rusty or ferruginous chestnut, the edgings 

 of the feathers olive-gray. This rusty chestnut of back usually takes, in 

 prepared skins, the form of long and broad streaks showing no dark shaft- 

 lines. Tail rufous. Six adult males average : wing, 3.30; tail, 2. 58; cul- 

 men, .43; tarsus, .75 inch. 



Habitat. Pacific slope (California). 



