612 APPENDIX. 



5.10 to n.SS in luii^'lli, by 9.10 to !).8.') in extent, avcrntrinj,' iiliout n.^f) by 9.50. 

 The Nliortest-winj^ed spocinieu wiis a fenmlc, exinindiu;,' (S.H.l, tiiougii measuring 

 5.50 in len^^th ; the winy ordiniirily ninyed from 12.75 to 3.00." 



])r. (.'ones iiiso fiirnisiies the Ibllowing tieeount of tiie Imbits of tills species, which 

 we print verbatiiii : — 



" Out of tiiirty-one siwciniens collected July 14 and 15, twenty-nine were males, 

 one female, and one younj,'. 'I'liis remarkable j)reponderance of males collected 

 was owini; to the fact that those attracted my attention as they sat singing on the 

 tops of the weeds and low bushes ; the females being jn'obably down in the grass, 

 incui)ating, or attending to their young, — at any rate not singing. In general 

 appearance and maimers they were so similar to Savanna .Sparrows (PaDxercii/iis 

 siii'diiiKi) with which tiiey were here associated, that they could only be distin- 

 guished at gunshot range after several days' close observation. The song resembles 

 that of the Savanna Sjjarrow, but may soon be learned ; it consists of two or three 

 chirps and nil indetiuite trill — ,-//), zip, sip, iin-rrrrrr—in a mellow tinkling tone. 

 The birds rise from the grass with a quick flickering flight, seldom going far before 

 re-alighting. They remain in this ])orti(Hi of the country at least until October. 

 Though scattered over the prairie, they tend to gather in little colonies ; that is to 

 say, one might ride a mile or so without seeing any, and then find numbers in the 

 same spot. After leaving the prairie included in the bend of the Soiiris River, 

 none were seen on the Coteau de Missouri ; though this may have beni owing to 

 the lateness of the season. Late in July I scared a female off her nest on the 

 prairie : the bird ran slyly through the grass, like a mouse, for some distance, be- 

 fore taking wing ; her actions being like those of Plcclrophaiien onuitim under simi- 

 lar circumstances. Unfortunately, however, the nest was not found ; but it will 

 almost certainly be found to be built upon the ground, like that of Poocfvtes, Pas- 

 gerculus, and other allies." 



We learn by letter (dated October 7, 187.^) from Mr. H. W. Henshaw, the natu- 

 ralist of Lieutenant Wheeler's expedition, that he has obtained (somewhere along 

 the line of their route, apparently in New Mexico, but the locality is not mentioned) 

 about thirty specimens of what he supposes to be this bird in the fall plumage. In 

 regard to their habits, Mr. Henshaw writes as follows : " It is essentially a plain 

 bird, with habits about half-way between those of the Savanna and Yellow-winged 

 Sparrows, both of which were abundant in the same locality." 



Flectrophanes ornatUS (I, 520). The abundant material brought in by ro- 

 ceiit collectors, among whom we may mention particularly Mr. Allen (see Bull. Mus. 

 Comp. Zoiil. Ill, No. 0, p. 135) and Dr. Cones, throws additional light upon the 

 relationship of this species and P. " me/anomiis" (I, 521), and affords conclusive 

 evidence of their identity. The latter is merely a high stage of jjlumage, with the 

 lesser coverts deep black, instead of brown as in midsummer, and rufous borders 

 to the black feathers of the lower parts, which become worn off in midsummer. 



Fasserculus alaudinus (1, 537). Dr. Cooper informs me that in July, 

 1873, he found young but fully fledged birds of this species quite common along 

 the beach near Santa Barbara, and where, jwssibly, they may have been mistaken 

 by Dr. Heermann for P. rostrattin. One he shot closely resembled in plumage the 

 young Afelnspua heenmnni. They had been, without doubt, hatched on the 



