FRINGILLID.'E — THE FUX'IIES. 49 



Gf.xcs FASSERELLA, Swaixson. 

 Passcrcllu, Swainsos, Class. Hiids, 11, 1837, 288. (Type, /'mj(/t'Wa (7wtca,'MERREM.) 



Gkx. Ciiak. Body stout. Bill coniciil, not notched, the outlines straight; the two 

 jaw.s of equal depth ; rooi'ol'uiniL'r niandiljle deeply excavated, and vaulted; not knohbed. 

 Tarsus scarcely longer than the middle toe ; outer too little longer than the inner, its 

 claw reaching to tlie middle of the central one. Hind too about cipial to the inner 

 lateral ; the claws all long, and moderately curved only ; the posterior rather longer than 

 the middle, and equal to itvS toe. Wings long, pointed, reaching to the niiddlc of the 

 tail ; the tertials .'^eareely longer than secondaries ; second and third qnills longest ; first 

 equal to tiie fifth. Tail very nearly even, scarcely longer than the wing. Inner claw 

 contained scarcely otie and a half times in its toe proper. 



Color. Kufous or sla^y ; obsoletely streaked or uniform above ; thickly spotted with 

 triangular blotches beneath. 



Species and Varieties. 



Common Characters. tironnd-('<)lor above. slaty-Jisli, or sepia; wings, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail more rufcseont. Beneath, pure white, with numerous 

 triangular spots over breast and throat, sti'caks along sides, and a triangular 

 lilotch on side of throat, of the same color as the wings. The pectoral spots 

 aggregated on the middle of the breast. 



A< Hind claw not longer than its digit. Back witii broad streaks of dark 

 rufous. 



1. P. iliaca. Ground-color above ash (more or less overlaid in winter 

 with a rufous wash) ; wings, dorsal spots, upper tail-coverts, tail, auricu- 

 lar.s, and markings of lower parts, bright reddish-rufous. Wing, S.-^O ; 

 tail, 2.90 ; tarsus, .87 ; middle toe, without claw, .(i" ; hind claw, .35. 

 Hah. Eastern Province of North America. 

 B. Hind claw niueh longer than its digit. Back without streaks. 

 '1. F. townsendi. 



Head and noik aliove witli back, scapulars, and rump, rich sepia- 

 brown, almost imiform with wings and tail. Belly thickly spotted; 

 tibiiu deep brown ; supraloral space not whitish. Wing, .3.05 ; tail, 

 2.85; tirsus, .80; middle toe, .02; hind claw, .43. Ilab. Pacific 

 Province of Xorth Auieriua, from Kodiak south to Fort Tcjon, C'al. 



(iu winter) var. townsehdi. 



Head and neck above, with back, .scapulars, and rump, slaty-ash, 

 in strong contrast witli the rufescent-brown of wings and tail. 

 Belly with only minute specks, or immaculate ; tibiie grayish ; 

 supralor.al space distinctly white. Spots i)eneath dove-brown. 

 Bill, .34 from nostril, by .25 deep at base; wing. 3.30; tail, 

 3.50 ; tarsus, .85; middh- toe, .00; hind claw, .45. Ilah. Mid- 

 dle Province of United States . . . var. .irltistacca. 

 Bill, .35 from nostril and .47 deep; wing, 3.30; tail, 3.50; 

 tarsus, .83; middle t:'e, .('"i ; hin.l claw, ..50. Hah. Sierra Ne- 

 vada, from Fort Tejon, north to Carson City, Nev. 



var. me<jarhynclius. 



No great violence would bo done liy considering all the above forms as 

 races of one species, the characters separating iliaca from the rest being of 



VOL. u. 7 



