ZOOLOGY. 201 



One specimen of the lark finch was obtained by me at Fort Dalles, 0. T. Not seen by me 

 west of the Cascade mountains. Townsend gives it as an inhabitant of Oregon. The bird 

 above-mentioned is now in the Smithsonian collection, numbered 4393. The measurements of 

 this (a female) were somewhat above the average. Length, 6.75; extent, 10.87; wing, 3.50. 

 Bill pale bluish, tip dusky. Irides brown. — S. 



ZONOTKICHIA GAMBELII, Gambel. 



■Western Whlte-crowuccl Spai*row» 



Fringilh. gambelii, Nutt. Man. (I, 2d. ed.) 1840, 556.— Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. 1, 1S43, 262. (California.) 

 Zonotrichia gambelii, Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. 2d series, I, Dec. 1847, 50. — Baird, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 460. 

 ZoTiotrichia leucopJirys, Newberry, Zool. C'al. & Or. Route : Rep. P. R. E. VII, iv, 1857, 87. 

 Sp. Ch. — Head above and a narrow line through and behind the eye to the occiput black ; a longitudinal patch in the 



middle of the crown, and a short line from above the anterior corner of the eye, the two confluent on the occiput, white. 



Sides of the head, fore part of breast, and lower neck all round, pale ash, lightest beneath and shading insensibly mto the 



whitish of the belly and chin ; sides of belly and under tail coverts tinged with yellowish brown. Interscapular region 



streaked broadly with dark chestnut brownish. Edges of the tertiaries brownish chestnut. Two white bands on the wing. 



The lores are gray throughout, this color continuous with a white superciliary stripe along the side of the head. 



Female similar, but smaller ; immature male with the black of the head replaced by dark chestnut brown, the white 



tinged with brownish yellow. Length, 6. 50 to 7. 25 ; extent, 9. 38 to 10. 75. Iris brown ; bill yellow, tipped with brown i 



feet pale yellowish brown. 



The western white-crowned sparrow is very abundant in all the prairie districts, especially 

 where there are low bushes, and, unlike most of the sparrows, frequents the coast prairies, where 

 I have found its nest and eggs. They arrived at the Straits of De Fuca about the end of 

 March in large numbers. In October they retire southward, and I found them with the 

 preceding and other species very common in fall in California. — C. 



This bird is very abundant both at Fort Dalles and at Puget Sound, and is a constant 

 summer resident at both places. It is a very fat species at all seasons, so much so that 

 skinning is difficult to perform neatly. 



It makes its nest in low bushes and among the stalks of lupins and other shrub -like weeds, 

 generally preferring dry situations on prairies in places where a short flight will enable it to 

 take shelter in thickets. A specimen (No. 158) obtained by me at Fort Dalles, I find described 

 in my note book as having "the bill reddish yellow, its tip dusky; legs dingy reddish yellow; 

 the feet of the same color, only more dusky." — S. 



ZONOTRICHIA CORONATA, Baird. 



Goldenocroiviieil Sparrow. 



Emberua coronata, Pallas, Zoog. Rosso- Asiat. II, 1811, 44 ; plate. 



Bmberiza oiricapillu, AuD. Oru. Biog. V, 1839, 47 ; pi. 394 ; (not of Gmelin.) 



FringiUa alricapilla, AuD. Synopsis, 1839, 122. — Ib. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 162 ; pi. 103. 



Pringilla aurocapilla, Ncttall, Man. I, (2d ed.) 1840, 555. 



Zonotrichia aurocapilla, Bon. Consp. 1850, 478. — Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route ; Rep. P. R. R. VI, iv, 1857 88. 



Emberiza alricapilla, Gm. I, 1788, 875, in part only. — Lath. lud. 415. 



Black-crowned Bunting, Pknnant, Arc. Zool. II, 364. — Lath. II, i, 202, 49 ; tab. Iv. 



Zonotrichia coronata, Balrd, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 461. 



Sp. Ch.— Head, from bill to upper part of nape, pure black, the middle longitudinal third occupied by yellow on the ante- 

 rior half, and pale ash on the posterior. Sides and under parts of head and neck, with upper part of breast, ash color, passing 

 insensibly into whitish on the middle of the body ; sides and under tail coverts tinged witli brownish. A yellowish spot 

 above the eye, bounded anteriorly by a short black line from the eye to the black of the forehead ; this yellow spot, how- 



26 Q 



