578 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



List of S2iecimens. 



PLECTROPHANES LAPPONICUS, [Linn.) Selhy. 



Lapland Longspue. 



On one of the last occasions when, during the season of 1873, I used 

 my gun for collecting, a single specimen of the Lapland Longspur was 

 secured. I think that the species had just reached the parallel on its 

 southward movement; otherwise I could hardly have failed to observe 

 it sooner, as I was shooting almost every day. Exactly how far south 

 it may linger to breed I do not know, but there are some indications 

 that it may occasionally nest in this latitude. Nevertheless, it ordina- 

 rily reaches the Arctic regions in summer; and I have seen the nest and 

 eggs from an island in Behring's Sea. It moves southward in October 

 in large flocks, reaching at least as far as Kentucky and Colorado. It 

 does not appear to have been found in the United States west of the 

 E-ocky Mountains, but this may be merely through default of observa- 

 tion, since it is a species of circumpolar distribution, like the Snow Bunt- 

 ing, abundant in northern portions of Asia and Europe. Such casual 

 observations as I made when the specimen was secured showed nothing 

 specially different in its habits from either P. inctus or P. ornatus, with 

 both of which it was associated. 



PLECTROPHANES PICTUS, Sw. 



Painted Longspur. 



Observed only on one occasion, when it was found in company with 

 the Chestnut-collared and Lapland Longspurs, having probably, like the 

 last species, just arrived from the north. The two autumnal (young) 

 specimens secured closely resemble the corresponding j^lumage of P. 

 ornatus, though the birds are readily distinguished by certain marks. 

 F.pictus is the larger of the two (length, 6.50; extent, 11.25; wing, 3.75; 

 tail, 2.50 ; tarsus, 0.75 ; middle toe and claw the same). Upper parts muck 

 as in the adults in summer, but the distinctive head-markings obscure 



