APPENDIX. 345 



numerous spots of dusky ; these spots run into each other so as 

 to be scarcely distinguishable; wings dusky ; first and second 

 primaries nearly equal, and longest; upper coverts of the wing 

 slightly edged with cream ; a large transverse band of white 

 upon the lower portion of the throat, margining the faint rufous 

 of the gular region, and joining the bay on the hind part of the 

 neck ; breast and abdomen deep black, irregularly waved with 

 cinereous and white ; vent and inferior tail-coverts white ; tail 

 emarginate, the outer feathers nearly all white; all the others 

 with a large portion of white, chiefly on their inner vanes, the 

 tips dusky. Legs and feet yellowish-dusky. Irides dark hazel. 

 Length Ss inches. 



Female unknown. 



Inhabits the plains of the Platte river, near the first range of 

 the Rocky Mountains. It appears to live exclusively upon the 

 ground, and is a very rai'e and shy species. I procured but one 

 specimen. 



Townsend's Ground Finch, or Longspur. 



Plectrophanes ^Townsendi, (Audubon.) Birds of America, 

 Vol. IV., pi. 424. Female. 



Upper mandible cinnamon ; lower, light yellow ; whole upper 

 parts, and tail, dark rufous ; wing feathers blackish, edged with 

 yellowish-rufous ; throat, breast, and belly white, with numerous 

 irregular spots and blotches of dark brown ; a line of brown and 

 black spots extends from the base of the lower mandible on each 

 side, down upon the throat ; inferior portion of the flanks, vent, 

 and upper tail-coverts, yellowish-brown, with a few spots of 

 black occupying the centre of the feathers. Legs and feet yel- 

 lowish, claws black. Irides dark hazel. Length 65 inches. 



This species is common in the neighborhood of Foi't Vancou- 

 ver on the Columbia. It inhabits the dense bushes chiefly in the 

 vicinity of low, marshy places, and feeds upon coleopterous in- 

 sects and worms, for which it searches in the ground by scratch- 

 ing up the earth with its feet. It is observed only in the autumn 

 and winter. 



Oregon Snow Finch. 

 Fringilla *oregona, (Townsend.) Journal Acad. Natural 



44 



