CALAMOSPIZA BICOLOR : LARK BUNTING. 279 



LARK BUNTING. 

 CALAMOSPIZA BICOLOR (Towns.} Bp. 



Chars. " Male : Entirely black, with a large white patch on the 

 wings, and the quills and tail-feathers frequently marked with 

 white ; bill dark horn color above, paler below ; feet brown ; 

 6-6 ; wing, 3^ ; tail, 2|. Sexes unlike ; 9 resembling one of 

 the Sparrows, brown above, streaked, white below, somewhat 

 streaked, but always known by the whitish wing-patch ; said to 

 wear the white plumage only during the breeding season, like the 

 Bobolink (Allen}. In the form of the bill this interesting species 

 is closely allied to the Grosbeaks (Zamelodid) ; and this, with 

 the singularly enlarged tertiaries, as long as the primaries in the 

 closed wing, renders it unmistakable in any plumage. A prai- 

 rie bird abundant on the Western plains to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains." (Coites.} 



This is another Western bird which has occurred in 

 New England far away from its native prairie. One 

 such instance has been recorded by Mr. Allen that 

 of a male in autumnal plumage, shot at Lynn, Mass., 

 by Mr. N. Vickary, Dec. 5, 1877 (Bull. Nutt. Club, iii, 

 Jan., 1878, p. 48). 



BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 

 SPIZA AMERICANA (Gm.) Bp. 



Chars. Male : Above, grayish-brown, streaked with black on the 

 middle of the back, the nape ashy, the crown yellowish-olive with 

 black touches. A yellow supraciliary line ; eyelids white ; auric- 

 ulars ashy ; chin white ; throat with a large jet black patch. 

 Under parts otherwise white, but shaded on the sides with 

 brownish, and extensively tinged with yellow. Edge of wing yel- 

 low. Lesser and middle wing-coverts chestnut. Bill blackish- 

 blue ; feet brown. Length, 6.50-7.00 ; extent, 10.50 ; wing, 3.25 ; 

 tail, 2.75. Female : Similar ; smaller ; upper parts less boldly 

 marked ; wing-coverts not chestnut ; lower parts less tinged 

 with yellow, and no black breast-plate, but sharp maxillary and 

 pectoral streaks instead. 



