422 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



GENUS JUNCO WAGLER. (Page 385, pi. CIX., fig. 3.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Adult : Plumage chiefly plain grayish, entirely without 

 streaks, and usually without distinct markings on wings ; belly, under tail-coverts, 

 and outer tail-feathers white. Young : Profusely streaked, both above and below, 

 the ground-color of the lower parts everywhere dull whitish ; outer tail-feathers 

 white, as in the adult. Nest usually on ground, rather bulky, composed of dried 

 grass-stems, etc., lined with softer materials. Eggs 3-5, whitish, usually more or 

 less speckled with reddish brown. 



a 1 . Sides ash-gray, like chest, or, if inclining to pinkish, this color not abruptly 



defined against, or contrasted with, gray or dusky of chest. 

 b l . Back gray, like chest ; bill, in life, pale flesh-color, purplish horn-color, or 



pinkish white, with dusky tip ; iris dark brown, or claret-color. 

 c 1 . "Wing usually with two distinct white bands; larger (length about 6.00- 

 7.00, the wing averaging more than 3.25). 



Uniform plumbeous-gray, the head not darker ; bill, in life, livid 

 pinkish, with dusky tip. Male : Wing 3.15-3.65 (3.44), tail 3.00- 

 3.39 (3.20), culmen .52-.54 (.53), tarsus .85-.90 (.86). Female : 

 Wing 3.23-3.48 (3.30), tail 3.10-3.28 (3.15), culmen .52-.S4 (.53), 

 tarsus .80-.88 (.84). Hal. Eocky Mountains, in Colorado and 

 Wyoming, straggling east, in winter, to middle Kansas. 



566. J. aikeni EIDGW. White-winged Junco. 

 c*. Wing usually without trace of white bands ; smaller (length about 5.50- 



6.25, the wing averaging less than 3.20). 



d 1 . Plumage slate-gray, the head perceptibly darker, approaching 

 blackish slate (often nearly black anteriorly) in the male, the 

 female (especially younger birds) often strongly tinged with 

 brownish, the sides washed with light pinkish brown ; bill, in 

 life, delicate light flesh-color, or pinkish white. Male : Wing 

 3.00-3.25 (3.09), tail 2.68-2.90 (2.82), culmen .46-.51 (.49), tar- 

 sus .80-.86 (.83). Female : Wing 2.87-3.10 (2.95), tail 2.60-2.98 

 (2.74), culmen .47.-.50 (.49), tarsus .80-.85 (.83). Eggs .76 X 

 .58, colored like those of Spizella pusilla. Hab. Northern North 

 America, breeding from northern Maine to Alaska (except Pa- 

 cific coast district, or south and east of the peninsula) ; in win- 

 ter, whole of eastern United States, and sparingly westward to 

 Pacific coast... 567. J. hyemalis (LiNN.). Slate-colored Junco. 

 (P. Plumage much as in J. aikeni, but softer and more decidedly plum- 

 beous, the wing-bands always (?) obsolete ; bill, in life, livid or 

 purplish horn-color. Male : Wing 3.03-3.25 (3.17), tail 2.81-3.07 

 (2.97), culmen .50-.51 (.51), tarsus .88-.90 (.89). Female: Wing 



