FUINtlll-MD.K TIIK KI.NCII KS. I7 



nvcr tlic wliulc (if Xniili AiiiiTica, and limiilinr In vwvy din!, wn liiid ciicli 

 n!;^i()ii 111 iMissi'ss a special I'nriii ftu wliiuli a s]H'L'ilic iiaiin! lias Ikm'Ii ^'ivcii), 

 ami yt't these passiiin iiilo eacli ntliei' liy siuli iiiseiisiMe gradations as tn 

 render it (|nile inipussiliK' to deline tlieni as species. Jletween J/, iinltii/id 

 !>[ till! Athinli(! States and J/, in.-iii/nls of KoiliaU the ililleieneo soems 

 wide; liut the counectinu links in the inlerniediale leninns inid^f this over 

 so completely that, with a seiies of hundreds ol' specimens lieloic 11s, wo 

 aliandon the allenipt at sp(!cilic sepaiatiun, and unite into one no less tlaui 

 eij;lit sjiecies previously reconui/etl. 



Takinjf, then, the common Soiij; Sparrow of the Kasiern Atlantic Stat(>s 

 (J/, iiiilotlin) as the slartinj^'-point, and jn'oc'L'edin;^' westward, we liiid (luite a 

 dc'cided dilll'rence (in a variety , /''//''.'J when we reach the Middle l'iii\ince, 

 or that of tho itouky Mountains, The j^eiieral tints are paler, ^nayer, and 

 loss rusty; the superciliary stripe anteriorly more asjiy ; tlie hill, and espe- 

 cially the lejis, more dusky, the latter not at all to ho called yellow. Tho hill 

 is perhaps smaller and, thoujj;li sometimes equal to thi! average of eastern 

 sjiecimen.s, nuae slendi'r in proportion. In some specimens {\\\i\v;\\j'i(ll(i.ij the 

 streaks an; unilbrni rufous without darker centres, — 11 feature I have not 

 noticed in eastern mcludki. Another sta<,'e {livcniianni) is seen when we reach 

 tho I'acitic eoa.st of California, in a darker brown color (hut not rufous). 

 Here the hill is rather larger than in mw. fallur, and tho lej;s colored more 

 like typical ludodin. In fact, the bird is like ihiIiuIIk, but dark(n\ The 

 stripes on the back continue well defined and distinct. M. HKvnulis 

 {==ijoiddi) may stand as u smaller race of this variety. 



Proceeding norMiward along tlio Pacific coast, another I'orin (var. (jnttdto), 

 peculiar to the coa.st of California, is mot with towards and beyond the 

 mouth of the Columbia (coming into Southern California in winter). This 

 is darker in color, more rufous; the stripes quite indistinct above, in fact, 

 more or less ob.solete, and none, either aliove or below, with daiker or '.ilack- 

 ish centres. The sides, crissum, and tibia are washed witli ochi.iceous- 

 brown, the latter ]>erhaps darkest. The bill is jiroportionally longer and 

 more .slender. This uice becomes still darker northward, until at Sitka 

 (var. rujiva) it shows iio rufous tints, but a dusky olive-brown instead, in- 

 cluding the streaks of the under parts. The markings of the head and 

 back are a])preciab]e, though not distinct. The size has become consider- 

 altly larger than in eastern melodia, the average length of wing being ".00, 

 instead of 2. GO. 



The last extreme of difteronce from typical melodia of the east is seen in 

 the variety imiijuis from Kodiak. Here the si/e is very large : length, 7.00 ; 

 extent, 10.75 ; wing, 3.20. The bill is very long (.7:i from forehead), the 

 color still darker brown ana laore uniform above ; the median light stripe 

 of vertex scarcely apju-eciable in some specimens ; the superciliary scarcely 

 showing, except as a whitish spot anteriorly. The bill and feet have become 

 almost black. 



VOL. II. 3 



