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NOIITII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



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The following synopsis may servo us a moans by wiiicli to distinguish the 



several races of this sjieeies, as also tlie two remaining positive species of 



the genus : — 



Species and Varieties. 



A* L(iwor parts strt'aked. 



1. M. melodia. White of tin* lower parts uninterrupted from the ehin to 

 the erissnni ; the streaks of the juL'tihim, ete., broad and cuneate. 



a. Streaks, above and helow. sharply defnied. and distinctly black 

 medially (exce[)t sonietinics in winter i)hnnaiL'e). 



Ground-<'olor above reddish-gray, the interscapulars with the 

 whitish and black streaks about erpud, and sharply contrasted. 

 Rump with reddish streaks. Winjr. 'J.70; tail, 2.00 ; bill .^JG from 

 nostril, and .30 deep. Il'ib. Eastern Province of Fnitcd States, to 

 the Plains on the wa»st, and the Rio Grande on the south \ar. melodin. 



Ground-color above ashy-crray, the ititerscapulars with the black 

 streaks much broader than their rufous border, and the whitish 

 edijes not in stron.fj contrast. Rump without streaks. Winjr, 2.80; 

 tail, 3.15; bill, .33 and .22. Hub. Middle Provin.ce of United 

 States var. f all ax.- 



Ground-color above nearly pure jrray, the interscapulars with the 

 black streaks much broader than the rufous, and tlie edges of the 

 feathers not appreciably paler. Rump without streaks. Wing, 

 2.80; tail. 2.85; bill, ..32 by .27. Ilab. California, except along 

 the coast; Sierra Xevada ..... var. heermanni? 



Ground-color above gray'sh-olive, the interscajiulars with the 

 black streaks much broader than their rufois border; edges of the 

 feathers scarcely appreciably paler. Rump and tail-coverts, above 

 an<l below^ with distinct broad streaks of black. Wing, 2.40; tail, 

 2.50; i»ill, .37 and .24. Hah. Coast region of California var. samuelis.* 



Ground-color above olive-rufous, the edges of the interscapulars, 

 alone, ashy ; dorsal black streaks very broad, without rufous 

 border. Rum[> streake<l with black. Wing, 2.G0; tail, 2.85; bill, 



.34 and .25. Hab. Puebla, Mexico 



var. mexicana. 



1 IVintcr phonof/r. Rust)' prevailing above, but hoary wliitish cdgos to feathers still in strong 

 contrast ; streaks beneatli with a rufous sulfusion externally, but still with the black in excess. 



^ Winter plumaije. Gray above more olivaceous, the black streaks more subdued by a rufous 

 sulfusion ; streaks beneath with the rufous i-redoininating, sometimes without any black. 



^ Winter 2^lum(i<ii\ Above rusty-olive, with little or no ashy, the black streaks broad and 

 distiijit. Streaks beneath with the black and rus'^ .i about ecpial amount. 



* In summer the .strenks Itcneath are entirely intense black ; in winter they have a slight 

 rufous external suffusion. 



^ Mihispi-a indodiii, var. mexicana, Rid^^way. Mexican Song Sparrow. 1 ? Melospiza pecto- 

 ralis, VON MiJLi.Kit. 



Si'. CiiAK. (TyiK', 60,046, Puebla, Mexico, A. BoucAitn.) Similar to M. mcJodia, but 

 gi-ound-color aln^ve olive- brown ; inner we])s of interscapulars pale ashy, but not in strong 

 contrast. Crown and wings rusty-brown, tlie former with broad black streaks, and divided 

 by a just appreciable paler line ; back with l)road black streaks without any rufous suffusion. 

 Superciliary stripe pure light ash, becoming white anterior to the eye ; two broad, dark-brown 

 stripes Oil side of head, — one from the lye back along up|»er edge of auriculars, the other bjick 

 from the lictus, along their lower border. Lower ]»arts i»ure white, the flanks and crissum dis- 

 tinctly ochraceous ; markings beiie;itli broad and heavv', entirely pure deep black; those on the 

 jugulum deltoid, on the sides linear. Wing, 2.G0 ; tail, 2.85; bill, .37 and .24 ; tarsus, .85 ; 





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