COTURN1CULUS PASSER1NUS. 127 



GENTS XVIII. COTURNICULUS. THE YELLOW-SHOULDERED SPARROWS. 



(.'is. Cii. Dill, short anil thick, c/nitii/irnh/i/ mmlli-n at IKUC, U/iprr inaiii/ili/r, l>ut little furred. Winys, much longer 

 than tin- tail irliiffi is a tittli ruiim/nt, anil with ll J'mlhi rs acuminate. Sternum, stout, with the coracoidx much shortir in 

 li-nifth than l/ii ti>/i of thi keel which is not low, marly ctjualiny in hciyht one half the Icnyth of lite coracoids. Size, quite 

 small. 



All the species arc streaked above, and some have narrow lines below where there is more or less buff. The edge of the 

 wiiiL' is yellow. The feet are quite small. I do not include Leconte's Bunting under this head, for I think that it should 

 lie placed in a separate genus, for which I propose the name, Passerherbulus, for generic characters of which see the forth- 

 coining appendix;. 







COTURNICULUS PASSEKINUS. 



YeUow-winged Sparrow. 

 Colurniculus passerina BON., List, 1839. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, small. Tongue, short, rather fleshy, provided with a tuft of terminal, hair-like fibers. 

 Sternum, as given above. 



('num. Adult. Above, including the wings and tail, dark-brown, with the feathers edged with yellowish-ash, find 

 tipped and edged with dark-chestnut, especially on the neck and back. There is a median line of yellowish-ash extending 

 from the bill to the occiput, and a superciliary line, the anterior portion of which is orange and the remainder buff. Under 

 parts, yellowish-white, with a strong buffy tinge on the breast, throat, sides of head, sides, flanks, and under tail coverts. 

 Edge of wing and shoulder, yellow. Bill, brown, very much lighter at base of lower mandible. Feet, pale-brown. 



Youny. Similar to the adult, but more reddish above, and the tail faathers, which in the adult are usually edged 

 with nearly a <tmight line of yellowish-ash, show indications of dark brown bars. There are also dusky streakings on the 

 sides of the breast. The anterior portion of the superciliary line is not as yellow. 



Nestlinys. Show no traces of chestnut above, where the feathers are edged with buff and yellowish-white. There are 

 indications of whitish wing liars, and the shoulders show no traces of yellow and the edge of the wing is only tinged with 

 it. There is but little buff below, but the throat, breast, sides, and flanks are streaked with dark-brown. There is no su- 

 perciliary line. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



imens which I procured at Key West vary grsatly from birds of Massachusetts in being much darker below, especially 

 across the breast, where there are narrow brownish streakings. There is very little ashy above, where the chestnut is very 

 much mure prominent, occupying fully one half of the surface. Tae median line is decidedly buffy and the superciliary line 

 is deep onin.';'. Birds from Miami are nsarly as dark as the above, while those from the more northern section of Florida 

 are not as du-kv and those from Pennsylvania are nearly as light as those from Nantucket. Skins from any given locality 

 do not differ greatly, as is exhibited in a large series now before me, the principal variation being due to the wearing of tlie 

 edges nf the feathers. Known in the adult stage from Ilenslowi by the absence of streakings below, and from all others by 

 the chestnut and ashy a!ne, combined with the yellow and bull mperfilinry line and short, acuminate tail. Found in 

 summer throughout the I'nited States, east of the Rocky Mountains, south of latitude 43^. Winters in the more Southern 

 secti.ins. Resident in Florida and on the Keys. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of fifteen specimens. Length, 5'15; stretch , 8-00; wing, 2-50; tail, 1-70; bill, '45; tarsus, '7:2. 

 Longer >p .eimen, :>'.','>: greatest extent of wing, 8'45; longest wing, 2'GO; tail, 1'75; bill, -55; tarsus, -75. Shortest speci- 

 men, 5-(HI; smallest extent of wing, 7'GO; shortest wing, 2'40; tail, 1'65; bill, '35; tarsus, -70. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



."%<.</., placed on the ground. They are loosely c< nstructed, lieing composed of dried grass lined with finer. Dimen- 

 sions; external diameter. I'OO, internal, !>'50. External depth. J'(K>, internal, I'OO. 



Eyys, four or five in number, rather oval in form, ashy-white in color, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown and 

 lilac, more thickly on the larger end. 



HABIT'S. 



A greater portion of the Island of Nantucket is destitute of trees, being composed of 

 rolling, sandy plains which arc covered with short, wiry grass or other herbage, while at 



