FUINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 511 



The females are less stroii^'ly inarkcd tliaii tlie iiialt'S, lackinjj; tlio distinct 

 patches of black (which, however, are nearly always faintly imlicateil), and 

 other characters, and are streaked like the tipizdiina: 



Species and Varieties. 

 A< Prevailinjr color wliito. 



1. P. nivalis. $. Racik, scnpulars, oiiils of tortialw, alula, torniinal half of 

 priniarlfs ami tlio iniddlu tail-li-atliers, docp black ; otherwise pure white. 

 9. The lilaek rei)laced hy grayish with lilack spots; crown frrayisli 

 spotted with lilack. Yoiuii,' <'onsidcral(ly tinged with ochraccoiis. 

 ll(tb. Cireiiinpolar regions: south ii; winter into the I'niled States. 



B. Ahove brown, spotted with black. ,J. Crown blai'k. 



a. Six to ten middle tail-feathers almost wholly black; the rest without 

 bliiek ends. ^ with a inichal collar of rufous or bull", and without rid'ous 

 on the wings. 



2. P. lapponicuB. $. Head, all round, and jugulum, deep black; a 

 post-oi.'ular stripe, running downward behind the bhick jugular patch, 

 and entire lower parts from the jugulum, white. Xuchal collar chestiuit- 

 rufous. 9 with the black areas merely indicateil by a dusky clouding, 

 and merely a tinge of rufous round the nape. Huh. ('in'unipolar 

 regions; south in winter into the United States. 



3. P. pictUB. f. Head above and laterally deep black, Ijordcred 

 anteriorly and below with white; a post-ocular stripe, and an ovate 

 auricular spot of the same. Nuchal enUar and culire lower surface 

 bright bud". 9- ''"''- grayish-biifl', darker above ; above distinctly, and 

 on the jugulum obsoletely, streaked with black. //'(/'. Interior iilains 

 of North America, jiorth to Aretii; Ocean. 



4. P. ornatUB. $. Head above, an<l whole breast and abdomen, 

 black; a superciliary strijie, side of head, chin, throat, anal region and 

 crissum, white ; nuchal collar rufou.s. 9 tiaidly distinguishable from 

 that of P. pictus. 



a. Leiwcr wing-coverts brow!ii.sh-g''ay ; lilack l-eathers of brea.st, 

 etc., without riilbu.^ edges. Ihib. Interior plains of I'liitcd Stales. 



var. o )• II ft t us. 



b. Lesser wing-covert.s black; black fcatluMs of breiust, etc., with 

 rufous edges, /fiib. Southern pliiius of North America, and table- 

 land of Mexico var. mefuiiumiin. 



h. Only two middle tail-feathers almo.st wholly l)lack; the ri.vst with black 

 ends. ^ without a luichal collar of rufous or bull', and with rufous on the 

 wings. 



,'). P. maccowni. ^. Crown, and a broad crescent on the jugulum, 

 black; rest of head ami neck ashy, approaching white on the throat 

 and over the eye; beneath white, above grayish-brown, streaked with 

 black; middle wing-eovcrts rufous. 9. Above yellowi.sh-umbcr, be- 

 neath yellowish-white; thii.'kly streaked above, nnstreaked beneath. 

 No rufous on wings, and no black on head or jugulum. /Mi. I'lains, 

 from Texas, northward. 



There seems to be no siipcitil reason for subdividiiiif tliis {•onus, altluiii};li 

 this has been done, — /*. niritlis liein^ alone retained in I'/crtru/i/uiiirn ; P. 

 maccowni formino; the type and sole member of the genus Jihi/iico^j/uincs 



