FINCHES. 195 



purple, or red, and at times almost black." " They measure 

 .80 X .60 of an inch." 



c. The " Longspurs," as their name indicates, have re- 

 markably long hind claws, such as also belong to the Snow 

 Buntings, to whom they are as closely allied by habits and 

 notes as otherwise. They are still more northern in their range 

 than those birds, and pass the summer in arctic countries 

 only. Brehm says, from his own observations at this season 

 in the extreme north of Europe, that they may be found 

 among the birch woods there, where they often perch upon the 

 trees, feed much upon the gnats which swarm in the toondras, 

 and sing only when on the wing, often hovering like the Lark 

 when doing so, whereas the Snow Buntings usually perch on 

 rocks, and are not naturally shy. They occur in Massachu- 

 setts as rare winter visitors only, and as occasional stragglers 

 in large flocks of Snow Buntings or Shore Larks, though, says 

 Mr. Maynard, " common on the Ipswich Sand-hills." They 

 frequent almost exclusively the coast or the lands near it, 

 feeding on seeds and small shell-fish. They run nimbly, fly 

 swiftly, and chiefly affect the ground, but occasionally perch 

 in trees. 



d. They have a shrill chirr, and a rather melancholy call 

 of two syllables. Their song is said to be simple but sweet, 

 with their call-notes often introduced. 



VIII. CHONDESTES. 



A. GRAMMACUS. Lark Finch. An inhabitant of the 

 western United States, one, however, being "taken in 

 Gloucester, in 1845, by S. Jillson." 76 * 



a. About 6 1 inches long. " Crown, chestnut, blackening 

 on forehead, divided by a median stripe, and bounded by 

 superciliary stripes, of white ; a black line through eye, 

 and another below eye, inclosing a white streak under the eye 

 and the chestnut auriculars ; next, a sharp black maxillary 



76 Maynard, Naturalist's Guide, p. mens, the first taken at Newton ville, 



112. Gloucester is on the coast of November 24, 1877, the second shot at 



Massachusetts, north of Boston. Magnolia, August 27, 1879, the third 



* There are now records of at least seen, only, at Framingham, April 6, 



three additional Massachusetts speci- and again on the 29th, 1883. W. B. 



