ICA 



VERTEBRATA. 



THE SONG-SPARROW. 



The Grass-Bird or Bay-winged Sparrow — Fringilla r/raminca of Dc Kay — is five and a half 

 inches long; above gray, varied with dusky ; breast and flanks streaked with brown ; nest placed 

 on the ground; ranges along the Atlantic States from Texas to latitude 57° north; many winter 

 as far north as Pennsylvania. This is the Grass-Finch of Nuttall, and the Bay-winged Bunting 

 of Audubon. 



The AVhite-crowned Sparrow — F. leucophrys of De Kay — six and a half inches long ; the 

 head white; above brown and white; beneath pale ash ; it is a northern species, migrating south 

 in winter, as far as 28°. 



The White-throated Sparrow, F. Pennsylvanica, is six inches long ; above rufous, black and 

 olive-brown; beneath slate color; found, in winter, in Maryland and Pennsylvania; in summer, 

 from Texas to Canada. 



Other species are the F. hicolor, seven inches long; found on the "Western prairies: F. atrica- 

 pilla, eight inches long ; found on the Rocky Mountains : F. cincrca, six inches long ; found in 

 Texas and on the Columbia River : F. Townsendii., seven inches long ; found in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains: F. Mortoni, five and a half inches long; found in California: F. Texensis, four and a half 

 inches long; found in Texas : F. Harrisi^ seven inches long; found on the upper Missouri. Sev- 

 eral of the preceding are ranged by Audubon and some others under the name of Finches. 



Genus STRUTHUS : Struthus. — This includes the Common Snow-Bird of Europe and the 

 United States : the Snow-Bunting, or Snow-Fowl of England — Snow-Flake of the Hebrides ; 

 Tawny-Bunting of Pennant — S. hyemalis — Plectrophanes nivalis of Yarrell — six inches long ; 

 color bluish-black ; abdomen and lateral tail-feathers white ; it is a shy, timorous bird, seldom seen 

 except during snow-storms, when it appears in flocks around the houses. At this time it presents 

 much diversity of plumage, some being almost white, and others partially white. It is a northern 



