REPORT UPON ORNITHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 



113 



Synopsis of the genus Junco. 



Common characters : Prevailing color plumbeus ; the abdomen, crissum, 

 and lateral tail- leathers white : 



A. Ash of the jugulum with its posterior surface concave, and 

 abruptly denned against the white of abdomen; sides tinged 

 with ash ; upper parts pure ash : 



1. hyemalis 



2. var. aikeni. 



B. Jugulum abruptly denned against the white of abdomen, but con- 

 vex; sides pinkish; dorsal region dark rufous-brown: 



1. oregonus. 



2. var. annectens. 



C. Back bright-rufous : 



1. caniceps. 



2. var. dorsalis. 



3. var. cinereus. 



4. var. alticola. 



By the above arrangement the group is divided into three distinct 

 species, each having a single variety in the United States, while to 

 caniceps as varieties are referred, though somewhat doubtfully, the 

 extreme southern forms cinereus and alticola. Hyemalis of the East- 

 ern Province is represented in the high northern Rocky Mountains (?) 

 by the variety aikeni, distinguished by its larger size, the white bands 

 of the wings, the greater amount of white on the tail-feathers, and the 

 generally paler coloration, features all readily traceable to the effects of 

 its cold alpine habitat. Annectens, also inhabiting the northern Eocky 

 Mountains, is referable to oregonus of the Pacific coast, which it resem- 

 bles in the fulvous sides, and in the dark rufous-brown of the dorsal 

 region ; features peculiar to these two forms. From it, it is separable 

 as a variety, by much the same differences, though less in degree, that 

 exist between hyemalis and aikeni, differences assignable, too, to the 

 same causes. It is larger, with paler colors throughout, having the 

 plumbeous-black of oregonus replaced by a light ash, and also, as Mr. 

 Aiken informs me, not infrequently shows a decided tendency to the 

 white banding of the wings. This is well shown in a specimen taken 

 at Fountain, Col., in December, which has two well denned bauds, 

 though not quite so conspicuous as in typical examples of aikeni. Junco 

 caniceps of the central Kocky Mountains of the United States is at once 

 distinguished from any of the above by the bright, reddish, chestnut- 

 brown of the interscapular region. In the southern Ilocky Mountains 

 in New Mexico and Arizona, is found var. dorsalis, which seems to com- 

 bine certain features peculiar to both caniceps and cinereus, and also in 

 certain other points to differ from either. In the restriction of red to 

 the interscapular region it is like caniceps ; but in quite a number of spe- 

 cimens collected in New Mexico during the past season the tertiaries 

 are strongly tinged with rufous, showing in this respect an approach to 

 80S 



