FllIXGILLID.E — THE F1^X'1IES. 



49 



Genus PASSERELLA, Swainson. 

 Passerclla, S\vain«on, Class. Birds, 11, Ibai, 268. (Type, Frinjilla i7uica,*MERREM.) 



Gen. Char. Body stout. Bill conical, not notched, the outlines straight; the two 

 jaws of equal depth; roof ol'ujiper mandible deeply excavated, and vaulted; notknoltbed. 

 Tarsus scarcely longer than the middle toe ; outer tci little longer than the inner, its 

 claw reaciiing to the middle of the central one. Hind toe about equal to the inner 

 lateral ; the claws all long, and moderately curved only ; the posterior rather longer than 

 tlie middle, and equal to its toe. Wings long, pointed, reaching to the niiddle of the 

 tail; the tertlals scarcely longer than secondaries; second and third quills longest; first 

 equal to tiie fittli. Tail very nearly even, scarcely longer than the wing. Inner claw 

 contained scarcely one and a half times in its toe proper. 



Color. Rufous or slai.y ; obsoletely streaked or uniform above; thickly spotted with 

 triaxigular blotches beneath. 



Species and Varieties. 



Common Characters. Gr ">und-color above, slaty-ash, or sepia; wings, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail more rufescent. Beneath, pure white, with numerous 

 triangular spots over breast and throat, streaks along sides, and a triangular 

 Itlotch on side of throat, of the same color as the wings. The pectoral spots 

 aggregated on the middle of the breast. 



A« Hind claw not longer than its digit. Back with broad streaks of dark 



rufous. 



1. P. iliaca. Ground-color above ash (more or less overlaid in winter 

 with a rutbus wash) ; wings, dorsal spots, u[>per tail-coverts, tail, auricu- 

 lars, and markings of lower part.', bright reddish-rufous. Wing, 3.50 ; 

 tail, 2.90 ; tarsus, .87 ; middle toe, without claw, .G7 ; hind claw, .35. 

 Hah. Eastern Province of North America. 



B» Hind claw much longer than its digit. Back without streaks. 



2. P. tow^nsendi. 



Head and neck above with ba<;k, scapulars, and rump, rich sepia- 

 brown, almost uniform with wings and tail. Belly thickly spotted; 

 tibiic deep brown ; supraloral space not whitish. Wing, 3.05 ; tail, 

 2.85 ; tarsus, .80 ; middle toe. .02 ; hind claw, .43. Hah, Pacific 

 Provinee of North America, from Kodiak south to Fort Tejon. Cal. 

 (in wintei) ........ var. townseudi. 



Head and neck above, with back, scapulars, and runq). slaty-ash. 

 in strong contrast with the rufescent-brown of wings and tail. 

 Belly with only mitmte specks, or immaculate ; tibite grayish ; 

 supralor.ll space distinctly white. Spots beneath dove-brown. 

 Bill, .34 from nostril, by .25 deep at base; wing. 3..'j0 ; tail, 

 3..50 ; tarsus, .^'j ; middle toe, .60 ; hind claw, .45. Hah. Mid- 

 dle Provinct^ of United States . . . var. srh istaceu . 



Bill, .35 from nostril and .47 deep ; wing, 3.30 ; tail, 3.50 ; 

 tarsus, .83 ; niiddle toe, .63 ; hind claw, .50. Hnh. Sierra Ne- 

 vada, from Fort Tejon, north to Carson City, Nev. 



var. meyarhynchus. 



No great violence would be done })y considering all the ubove forms as 

 races of one species, the characters separating iliaca from the rest being of 



VOL. II. 7 



