ZOOLOGY. 201 



One specimen of the lark finch was obtained by me at Fort Dalles, 0. T. Not seen by me 

 west of the Cascade mountains. Townsend gives it as an inhabitant of Oregon. The bird 

 above mentioned is now in the Smithsonian collection, numbered 4393. The measurements of 

 this (a female) were somewhat above the average. Length, 6.75 ; extent, 10.87 ; wing, 3.50. 

 Bill pale bluish, tip dusky. Irides brown. S. 



ZONOTRICHIA GAMBELII, Gambol. 



Western White-crowned. Sparrow. 



Fringillagambelii, NUTT. Man. (I,2d.ed.) 1840, 556. GAMBEL, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. I, 1843,262. (California.) 

 Zonotrichiagambelii, GAMBEL, J. A. N. Sc. 2d series, I, Dec. 1847, 50. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 460. 

 Zonotrichia leucophrys, NEWBERRY, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. R. VII, iv, 1857, 87. 



Sp. CH. Head above and a narrow line through and behind the eye to the occiput black ; a longitudinal patch in the middle 

 of the crown, and a short line from above the anterior corner of the eye, the two confluent on the occiput, white. Sides of the 

 head, fore part of breast, and lower neck all round, pale ash, lightest beneath and shading insensibly into the whitish ofthe belly 

 and chin; sides of belly and under tail coverts tinged with yellowish brown. Interscapular region streaked broadly with 

 dark chestnut brownish. Edges ofthe tertiaries brownish chestnut. Two white bands 0:1 the wing. The lores are gray 

 throughout, this color continuous with a white superciliary stripe along the side ofthe head. 



Female similar, but smaller ; immature male with the black of the head replaced by dark chestnut brown, the white tinged 

 with brownish yellow. Length, 6.50 to 7.25 ; extent, 9.38 to 10.75. Iris brown ; bill yellow, tipped with brown ; feet pale 

 3 ellowish brown. 



The western white-crowned sparrow is very abundant in all the prairie districts, especially 

 where there are low bushes, and, unlike most of the sparrows, frequents the coast prairies, where 

 I have found its nest and eggs. They arrived at the Straits of De Fuca about the end of March 

 in large numbers. In October they retire southward, and I found them with the preceding and 

 other species very common in fall in California. C. 



This bird is very abundant both at Fort Dalles and atPuget Sound, and is a constant summer 

 resident at both places. It is a very fat species at all seasons, so much so that skinning is 

 difficult to perform neatly. 



It makes its nest in low bushes and among the stalks of lupins and other shrub-like weeds, 

 generally preferring dry situations on prairies in places where a short flight will enable it to 

 take shelter in thickets. A specimen (No. 158) obtained by me at Fort Dalles, I find described 

 in my note book as having &quot; the bill reddish yellow, its tip dusky ; legs dingy reddish yellow ; 

 the feet ofthe same color, only more dusky.&quot; S. 



ZONOTRICHIA CORONATA, Baird. 



Golden-crowned Sparrow. 



Emberiza coronata, PALLAS, Zoog. Rosso- Asiat. II, 1811, 44 ; plate. 

 Emberiza atricapilla, AUD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 47; pi. 394 ; (not ofGmelin.) 

 Frivgilla atricapilla, AUD. Synopsis, 1839, 122. IB. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 162 ; pi. 193. 

 Fringilla aurocapilla, NUTTALL, Man. I, (2d ed.&amp;gt; 1840, 555. 



Zonotrichia aurocapilla, BON. Consp. 1850, 478. NEWBERRY, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route; Rep. P. R. R. VI, iv, 1857, 88. 

 Emberiza atricapilla, GM. I, 1788, 875, in part only. LATH. Ind. 415. 

 Black-crowned Bunting, PENNANT, Arc. Zool. II, 364. LATH. II, i, 202, 49 ; tab. Iv. 

 Zonttrichia coronata, BAIRD, Gen. R.ep. Birds, p. 461. 



Sr. CH. Head, from bill to upper part of nape, pure black, the middle longitudinal third occupied by yellow on the anterior 

 half, and pale ash on the posterior. Sides and under parts of head and neck, with upper part of breast, ash color, passing insensibly 

 nto whitish on the middle ofthe body ; sides and under tail coverts tinged with brownish. A yellowish spot above the eye, 



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