WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING. 205 



The White-crowned Bunting is seven inches long, and ten 

 inches in extent; the bill a cinnamon brown; crown from the 

 front to the hind head pure white, bounded on each side by a 

 stripe of black proceeding from each nostril; and these again 

 are bordered by a stripe of pure white passing over each eye 

 to the hind head, where they meet; below this another narrow 

 stripe of black passes from the posterior angle of the eye, widen- 

 ing as it descends to the hind head; chin white; breast, sides 

 of the neck, and upper parts of the same, very pale ash; back 

 streaked laterally with dark rusty brown and pale bluish white; 

 wings dusky, edged broadly with brown; the greater and lesser 

 coverts tipt broadly with white, forming two handsome bands 

 across the wing; tertials black, edged with brown and white; 

 rump and tail coverts drab, tipt with a lighter tint; tail long, 

 rounded, dusky, and edged broadly with drab; belly white; 

 vent pale yellow ochre; legs and feet reddish brown; eye red- 

 dish hazel, lower eye-lid white. 



The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by 

 the white on the head being less pure, the black also less in 

 extent, and the ash on the breast darker; she is also smaller in 

 size. 



There is a considerable resemblance between this species and 

 the White-throated Sparrow Yet they rarely associate together; 

 the latter remaining in the lower parts of Pennsylvania in great 

 numbers, until the beginning of May, when they retire to the 

 north and to the high inland regions to breed; the former inha- 

 biting much more northern countries; and though said to be 

 common in Canada, rarely visiting this part of the United States. 



