FUING1LLID.E — THE FINCHES. 113 



The bill of Mr. I^Iay. ard's specimen is about the size of that of more 

 northern ones ; the iris is described by hi:ii as pale yellowish-white, much 

 lighter than usual. 



Pipilo maculatus,^ var. megalonyx, Bairu. 



LONO-CLAWED TOWHEE BUNTINO. 



Pipilo megalo)i)jx, Raiiid, )iiids N. Am. 1858, 515, pi. Ixxiii. — Heehm. X, S, 51 (nest). 

 — Oool'Eii, Orii. Cul. 1, 242. 



Sp. Char. Similar to P. arcticus in amount of wliito on the wings and scapnlnrs. 

 though thi.s frequently edged with bluek, but 



without basal white on outer web of pri- 



marie.'s. Outer edge of outer web of external 



tail-feather white, sometimes confluent with / 



that at tip of tail. Concealed white spots on \ 



feathers of side of neck. Claws enormously 



large, the hinder longer than its digit; the 



hind toe and claw reaching to the middle of the middle claw, which, wi'h its toe, is as 



long as or longer than the tarsus. Inner lateral claw reaching nearly to the middle of 



middle claw. Length, 7.^0 ; wing, 3.25 ; hind toe and cliiw, .90. Femule with the deep 



black re[)laced Ijy ilusky slaty-olive. 



Hab. Southern coast of California and across tln-ough valleys of Gila and Rio Grande; 

 north through the Great Basin across from Fort Crook, California, to Fort Bridger, 

 Wyoming. 



This form constitutes so stronj^ly marked a variety as to be worthy of 

 particidar description. The general appciirance is tliat of P. arcticus, which 

 it resembles in tlie amount of wl.ite spotting on the wings. This, however, 

 does not usually involve the whole outer web at the end, but, as in orcgonus, 

 has a narrow border of black continued around the wliite terminally and 

 sometimes externally. There is not (piite so nnich of a terminal white 

 blotch on the outer tail-feather, this being but little over an inch in length, 

 and the outer web of the same feather is never entirely white, though always 

 with an external white border, which sometimes is confluent with the 



> Pipilo macnlattis, Swaixson. Sp. Chau. Male. Similar to the female of Pipilo arcticus, but 

 rather more olivaoeous ; only the head and neck all round black ; shading above insensibly into 

 the back. The white markings mostly edged narrowly externally with black, and clouded with 

 rusty ; the n:'.p'--featliers faintly, the interscapular broadly, streaked centrally with blaekisli ; 

 lower back and rump, w ith outer edges of quill and tail feathers, olivaceous-brown. A narrow 

 shaft-streak in white at end of tail. Fourth quill longest ; fifth scarcely shorter ; first about 

 equal to secondaries. Claws moderate ; perhnits larger than in enjthrophthalmus. Length of 

 skin, 7.80 ; wing, 3.15 ; tail, 4.20 ; tarsus, 1.10 ; middle toe and claw, .96 ; claw alone, .34 ; hind 

 toe and claw, .81 ; claw alone, .45. Huh. Mexico (Oaxaea ; Real del Monte, Philos. Mag., 1827). 



It is a serious question whether this comparatively little known Mexican simh ies of Pipilo is 

 not to be considered as identical with some or all of the species of the Unit(!d States, with siiotted 

 wing-coverts, notwithstanding the ditfcrence in the color of the body. It npixsars, however, to 

 be constant in the olivaueous character of the back, — no reference being made to Mexican speci- 

 mens entirely black above, — and as such it may be considered a permanent geographical race, 



VOL. H, 15 



