FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 345 



565. Spizella atrogularis (Cab.). BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW. 



Adult male. Throat and ring around bill black ; head, neck, and lower 

 parts gray, becoming- white on belly and under tail cov- 

 erts; back and scapulars rusty brownish narrowly streaked 

 with blackish ; bill pinkish brown. Adult female : like 

 male, but usually with black of chin restricted, often want- 

 ing-. Young : similar, but black replaced by gray, streak- 

 ing on back narrower, chest indistinctly streaked. Male : Fig> 434 ' 

 length (skins) 4.80-5.53, wing- 2.37-2.75, tail 2.41-2.92, bill .34-.42. 

 Female : length (skins) 4.90-5.45, wing- 2.37-2.55, tail 2.33-2.75, bill .34- 

 .39. 



Distribution. Breeds from the desert ranges of California, Arizona, and 

 southern New Mexico south to Lower California and to southern end of 

 Mexican tablelands. 



Nest. In bushes. Eggs : 3 to 5, plain light greenish blue. 



The black-chinned sparrow is common in Los Angeles County, 

 California, in summer, on brushy mountain sides from the base of 

 the foothills up to 7000 feet. Its song is said to resemble closely 

 that of the eastern field sparrow. 



GENUS JUNCO. 



General Characters. Bill conical ; wing rounded, primaries exceeding 

 secondaries by much less than length of tarsus; tail double-rounded; 

 tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw ; hind claw nearly or 

 quite as long as toe. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Head black or blackish. 



2. Back dark brown oregamis, p. 347. 



2'. Back light brown. 



3. Sides pinkish-brown connectens, p. 347. 



3'. Sides buffy-brown. 



4. Sides of head and throat deep black . . . thurberi, p. 347. 

 4'. Sides of head and throat slaty black .... pinosus, p. 348. 

 1'. Head gray or brownish. 

 2. Upper parts wholly gray. 



3. Wing with two white bars aikeiii, p. 345. 



3'. Wing unmarked hyemalis, p. 346. 



2'. Upper parts gray and brown. 

 3. Back bright rufous. 



4. Wing coverts and tertials rufous .... palliatus, p. 349. 

 4'. Wing coverts and tertials not rufous. 



5. Under parts uniform ashy white .... dorsalis, p. 349. 

 5'. Under parts not ashy white. 



6. Sides gray caniceps, p. 349. 



6'. Sides pinkish annectens, p. 348. 



3'. Back dull brown. 



4. Sides slightly pinkish montanus, p. 348. 



4'. Sides broadly pinkish mearnsi, p. 348. 



566. Junco aikeni Bidgw. WHITE- WINGED JUNCO. 

 Adult male. Entire body almost uniform light slaty gray except for 



