

SPIZELLA. 421 



Upper parts more bufly or " clay-colored," with blackish 

 streaks broader and less sharply defined ; dusky postocular 

 and rictal streaks less distinct (sometimes nearly obsolete) ; 

 chest, sides, and flanks streaked with dusky. Length 

 about 5.00-5.75, wing 2.20-2.50 (2.39), tail 2.30-2.60 (2.44). 

 Nest in bushes in open situations. Eggs 3-6, .66 X -49, 

 light greenish blue, speckled, chiefly on larger end, with 

 brown. Hob. Great Plains, north to the Saskatchewan, 

 west to base of Kocky Mountains, east, irregularly, to Wis- 

 consin and northern Illinois, south to Texas and New 

 Mexico (in winter, to Lower California and over table- 

 lands of Mexico to Guanajuato). 



561. S. pallida (SWAINS.). Clay-colored Sparrow. 

 e 2 . Head not distinctly striped, and ear-coverts not distinctly 

 brownish. Adult: Top of head, hind-neck, back, and 

 scapulars light grayish brown, streaked with blackish; 

 sides of head nearly uniform light grayish brown, but 

 ear-coverts perceptibly (not conspicuously or abruptly) 

 browner, usually without distinct dusky streak along 

 upper or lower margins ; top of head without distinct me- 

 dian stripe (usually with merely a trace of such stripe). 

 (In winter, not essentially different, but general cast of 

 plumage perceptibly browner than in summer.) Young : 

 Essentially like adult, but chest and sides streaked with 

 dusky, and streaks on upper parts less sharply defined. 

 Length 5.00-5.60, wing 2.35-2.55 (2.45), tail 2.35-2.70 

 (2.51). Nest and eggs like those of S. pallida, but the latter 

 usually more distinctly marked, averaging about .68 X -49. 

 Hob. Western United States, east to (and including) Eocky 

 Mountains, south (in winter only?) to northwestern Mexico. 

 562. S. breweri CASS. Brewer's Sparrow. 

 i*. Head and neck plain grayish ; chin and upper throat black in adult. 



Adult : Head, neck, and lower parts plain ash-gray, changing to white on 

 belly and lower tail-coverts; chin and upper throat black; back and 

 scapulars rusty brownish, narrowly streaked with black. Young : Simi- 

 lar to adult, but black of chin and throat replaced by the general gray 

 color. Length about 5.50-5.75, wing 2.40-2.50, tail 2.70-2.90. Nest in 

 bushes. Eggs 3-5, .68 X -50, plain light greenish blue. Hab. Mexico, 

 north to southern border of United States (lower Eio Grande to 

 southern California) ; Lower California. 



565. S. atrigularis (CAB.). Black-chinned Sparrow. 



