FIMN«:iLMI>.K TIIK FINCIIIIS. 



IT 



over tin' wlmlo of \ortli AiiH'rica, iiiid lamiliar to I'very onf, wi* tiixl racli 

 region to |K)sses.s ii sjK'cial form fto Nvliicli a s|HTili< naiiH- has \tvv\\ ^iveii), 

 ami v<'t tlu'Sf passing; into each nthcr l>v siich iiiNt-nsihU' ^raihitioiis as to 

 ivMiUiY it (piitu iinjM»ssihh' to tlctiiie thciii an s|H'<ics. lietwccn J/. imhuHn 

 of tlu' Athiiiti(! Stall's and M. iKsiiftiis ol Kodiiik the (lincH'iicf sfi-nis 

 wide; hut tht; coniieetinir links in the intermediate regions hrid^r this over 

 so eoni]iletely that, wilii a sciirs of hundii'ils uf spee-iniens hef(»i'e us, we 

 ahandon ihe attmipt at s]»eeili(t sei>aiation, and unit*' into one no less than 

 ei^dit s|)eeie8 jneviously ii'eo^niztd. 



Taking, then, tin* eoinni<>n Sunu SjtaiTow of the Eastern Atlantic States 

 (J/, inil(nlio) us the startinu-jioint, and jtroeerdin^ ''estward, we find ([uite a 

 decided dilh;renee (in a variety l'nlht,i) when we reach the Middle l*ro\ ince, 

 or that of the l{oi;ky Mountains. The general tints are paler, ^^raxer. and 

 less rusty ; the superciliary stripe antcriorlx more ashy ; the hill, and espe- 

 cially the le^s, more dusky, the latter not at all to he called yellow. The hill 

 is perhaps smaller and, thouj^h sometimes etpial to the average of eastern 

 specimens, more slender in projxtrtion. In some specimens (typical /^'/A" the 

 streaks are uniform rufous w it hcjut darker centres, — ji feature I have not 

 noticed in ea>tern tnc/odut. Another staije {hn/'tna/tni) is seen w hen we reach 

 the Pacific coast of California, in a darker hrown eolt>r (hut not riilous). 

 Here the hill is rather larger than in var. /c^//'", and the lei;s colored more 

 like tyjiical nuloiUn. In fact, the hird is like inrloditt, hut darker. The 

 stripes on the hack ccuitinue well defined and distinct. M. mmudis 

 (zrrztjoiilili) may stand as a smaller race of this variety. 



Proceeding northward along the Pacific coast, another form (var. (juttdta), 

 peculiar to the coast of California, is met with towards and heyond the 

 mouth of the Columhia (coming into Southern California in winter). This 

 is darker in color, more rufous; the stripes (piite indistinct ahove, in fact, 

 more or less oltsolete, and none, either above or below, with rlarker or black- 

 ish centres. The sides, crissum, and tibia are washed with ochraceous- 

 l»rown, th latter ])erhaps darkest. The bill is ]»roportion.'dly l(»nger and 

 more slender. This race becomes still darker northward, until at Sitka 

 (var. mjino) it shows no rufous tints, but a dusky olive-brown instead, in- 

 cluding the streaks of the under parts. The markings of the head and 

 back aie appreciable, though not distinct. The size has become consider- 

 ably larger than in eastern mt'/odiu, the average length of wing being o.OO, 

 instead of 2.GU. 



The last extreme of differsnce from typical meJodin of tiie east is seen in 

 the variety irisiynis from Kodiak. Here the size is very large : length, 7.00 ; 

 extent, 10.75 ; wing, 3.20. The bill is very long (.73 from forehead), the 

 color still darker brown and more uniform above ; the median light stripe 

 of vertex scarcely ap])reciable in some si)ecimens ; the superciliary scarcely 

 showing, except as a whitish spot anteriorly. The bill and feet have become 

 almost black. 



VOL. II. S 



