532 



NORTH AMLIUICAN nillDS. 



served as tlio basis ol' all tlie (lescriptions nf tlio specii's wliidi is Justly 

 consiili'R'd one of tlie raicsl in the North American I'ainia. 



Haiuts. In rejj;anl to tiie luihits, distribution, or jfener:'' history of this 

 very mre species, hut little is known, only one sjiecinien havinj; been met 

 with. This was procured l>y Mr. Audubon's party to the Yellowstone lliver, 

 in Dakota, on the last day of .Inly, iS4:>. Tiiat it is a resident where ob- 

 taine<l, certainly during the breeilinj^-season, is a natural int'erenee from the 

 circumstances of its capture. That it may l)e a common Itird in certain 

 other ]H)rtions of the rej,'ion, innnediately nortli of Dakota, is (juite proliable. 

 Its clo.se habits, as described liy Mr. Audubon, favor its escapinj^ notice wher- 

 ever it may c.\ist. 



The specimen was mot with in a wet place, overfjrown closely by a kind 

 of slender rush-like jira.ss, from the midst of wliich the notes of these birds 

 were heard, and at lii'st mi.staken for those of the Marsii Wren. A search 

 was innnediately instituted for the sinj^ers, which Mr. IJell soon ascertained 

 could not be the Wren in (picstion, tiie notes bein^- much softer and more 

 prolonged. Much dillicnlty was encountered in tiie endeavor to raise them 

 from the long close grass to which they closely confined them.selves, and 

 they were several times nearly trodden on lieibre they Mould take wing, 

 almo.st instantaneously realighting within a few .steps, and running like mice 

 through the grass. After a while two were .shot while on the wing, and 

 proved to be adult male and female. The i)arty found this species quite 

 abundant in all such situations, and there seems to have been no doubt that 

 it was breeding. 



Gexis PASSERCULUS, Honap. 



Pa.i.wivii!i/n, iioNAi'. ('0111]). lAat IJiiils, lS;iS. (Tyi)i', FfiiKjIlhi mirriiina.) 



Okx. Tirvn. Rill iiioili'r.itcly coiiiriil ; the lower iiiaiKlililc siii;ill('i- ; lintli outlines nearly 



.^Jtraiglit. Tar.sns aliiMit equal to tlic niiildle 

 tor. Latoriil toes aliont eiiual, their claw.'* 

 I'aiiinp; far sliort of tlio niiddlo one. Hind 

 toe niiieli lonpror tlian tlie lateral one.«, rcaoli- 

 inp: ns far as llie nii(l<llu of the midille claw ; 



f^i^ ___— ■ y^ -^r: -^-^ "'•"' <'liiws nuxlerately eiu'ved. Winp's '.nnisu- 



^ ■< '=^ ally lonsr. rcachinfj: to the inidille of the tail, 



and almost to the end of tlie niiper eoverts. 

 The tertials nt'arly or (|iiite a.< long as the 

 jiriiiiarie.s; the tir.st primary longest. The 

 tail is quite .short, eonsidcrahly shorter than 

 tliowinsis; as lonii; as from the eariial joint 

 to the end ot the seeondarius. it is eiiiar- 

 giuate, and .slightly rounded ; the foathors pointed and narrow. 



The essential chtiracters of this well-marked genus lie in the elongated 

 wings, longer than tiie tail, the tertiaries equal to the ])rinuu'ies, the first 



