584 NOR'I'Jl AMKIUCAN IJIRDH. 



Junco hyemalis, vur. aikeni, ItiDowAV. 



WHITE-WINOED SNOWBIRD. 



Sp. Char. Gonorally siniilnr to J. hijemuUs, Init ooiisiderably Inrjjor, with moro robust 

 bill; two wliito bunds on tlu,' winfj, iinil liirco, instt'iul of two, outiT tiiil-fuiitlicis iintin^ly 

 white. No. (il,;U12 (J, El Pnso Co., Coloiwlo, Dwumber 11, 1871, C. E. Aikon : lloiul, 

 neck, jiifjiihnii, and entire upper parts elear ash ; the back with a bluish tin<,'e; the lores, 

 quills, and tail-feathers darker; middle and secondary wiuf^-coverts rallier broadly tipped 

 with white, fonninf? two conspicuous bands. Lower part of the breast, abdomen, and 

 crissmn pure white, the anterior outline af,'ainst the ash of the juguhnn convex ; sides 

 tinged with ash. Three lateral tail-feathers entirely white, the third, however, with a 

 narrow streak of dusky on the terminal third of the outer web; the next feather mostly 

 plumbeous, with the l)ivsal fourth of the outer web, and the; terminal half of the inner, along 

 the shaft, white. Wing, 3.40 ; tail, 3.20 ; cuhnen, .50 ; depth of bill at base, .30 ; tarsus, .80. 



Hab. El Paso County, Colorado. 



At first si<,flit, this l)ir(l appeare to be a very (li.stinct species, being larger 

 tliaii any otlier Nortli American form, and possessing in the wliite bands on 

 tlie wing cliaracters entirely peculiar. Its large .size, however, we can at- 

 tribute to its alpine habitat, agreeing in this respect, as compared with J. 

 hi/cmnlis. with the J. nltimla of Guatemala, which we can only consider an 

 alpine or somewliat local form of ./. viiicraiH. That tiie wliite bands on the 

 wing <lo not constitute a ciiaracter siitticiently imjiortant to be considered of 

 specific value is proved by the fact that in many specimens of /. oregonus, 

 and occasionally in J. hi/cmalin, there is sometimes quite a distinct tendency 

 to these baiuls in the form of obscure white tips to the coverts. 



Habit.s. l>ut little is known as to tlie habits of this variety ; probably 

 tliey do not differ from tliose of its congeners. It was met with by Mr. 

 C. K. Aiken, near Fountain, El Paso County, in Colorado Territory, in the 

 winter of 1871 - 72. Tiiey were rare in tlie early winter, became rather 

 common during tlie latter part of February and the first of March, and had 

 all disappeared by the first of April. During winter only males were seen, 

 but, in the spring, the females were the most numerous. They were usually 

 seen singly, or in companies of two or three, and not, like the others, in 

 laryer flocks. 



■D- 



Junco oregonus, Sclater. 



OBEGON SNOWBIBD. 



FringUla oregona, Townseni), .1. A. N. Sc. VII, 1837, 188. —1b. Narrative, 1839, 345.— 

 AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 68, pi. cccxcviii. Strutlms oregonus, Bon. List, 1838. — In. 

 Consp. 1850, 475. — Newbeury, Zobl. Cal. & Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. R. VI, IV, 1857, 

 88. Niplum oregoiin, Arn. Syn. 1839, 107. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 91, pi. clxviii. 



— Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 134. Junco nregnnm, Sci.atkk, Pr. Zool. Soo. 1857, 7. — 

 Baiui), Birils N. Atu. 1858, 466. — Loud, Pr. R. A. Inst. IV, 120 (British Columbia). 



— CoorKi! k SiicKLEY, 202. — CoirK,s, Pr. Phil. Ac. 1866, 85 (Arizona). —Dali, d, 



