BIRDS OF KANSAS. 469 



winter straggling east to the Mississippi River, and even to the 

 Atlantic States. 



SP. CHAR. "Head and neck all round sooty black; this color extending to 

 the upper part of the breast, but not along the sides under the wings, and with 

 convex outline behind. luterscapular region of the back and exposed surface 

 of the wing coverts and secondaries dark rufous brown, forming a square patch. 

 A lighter, more pinkish tint of same on the sides of breast and belly. Eest of 

 under parts clear white. Rump brownish ash. Upper tail coverts dusky. 

 Outer two tail feathers white; the third with only an obscure streak of white." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 6.20 9.50 3.00 2.85 .80 .45 



Female... 5.90 9.00 2.75 2.70 .80 .43 



Iris dark brown; bill pinkish white, tips dusky; legs flesh color 

 to dark brown; feet and claws dark brown to dusky. 



This western form is in habits and actions a counterpart of the 

 eastern bird, J. hyemalis, and their nests and eggs as a whole 

 not noticeably different. 



GENUS PEUC-SJA ATJDUBON. 



"Bill moderate; upper outline and commissure decidedly curved. Legs and 

 feet with the claws small; the tarsus about equal to the middle toe; the lateral 

 toes equal, their claws falling considerably short of the middle one; the hind 

 toe reaching to about the middle of the latter. The outstretched feet reach 

 rather beyond the middle of the tail. The wing is very short, reaching only to 

 the base of the tail; the longest tertials do not exceed the secondaries, while 

 both are much short of the primaries; the outer three or four quills are gradu- 

 ated. The tail is considerably longer than the wings; it is much graduated lat- 

 erally; the feathers, though long, are peculiarly narrow, linear and elliptically 

 rounded at the ends. Color beneath plain whitish or brownish, with a more or 

 less distinct dusky line each side of the shin. Above, with broad obsolete brown 

 streaks or blotches. Crown uniform, or the feathers edged with lighter." 



Peucaea cassini (WOODH.). 



CASSIN'S SPARROW. 

 PLATE XXVIII. 



Summer resident in the middle and western part of the State; 

 common. Arrive about the middle of May; begin laying early 

 in June; leave in September. 



B. 371. R. 228. C. 254. G. 113, 234. U. 578. 

 HABITAT. From central Kansas southward and westward, 

 through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, into northern Mexico. 



