286 SHARP-TAILED FINCH. 



brown, marked with brownish-black streaks. The middle of the breast 

 and the abdomen greyish-white, tinged with yellowish-brown. 



Length 5^ inches, extent of wings 7f ; bill along the back f |, along 

 the edge ^% ; tarsus ii. 



The different species can be readily distinguished by attending to the 

 above particulars. MacgiUivray's Finch is in size intermediate between 

 the other two, and in colouring it resembles both, as has been stated above. 



When the three are together it is very easy to distinguish that species 

 from the rest, by the greater length of the bill and tarsus, and the greater 

 breadth of the black band along the middle of each tail-feather. In all 

 the species, the bills of individuals differ greatly in length, old birds hav- 

 ing them much longer than younger ones. 



In the repubhcation of Wilson's Ornithology, by Sir William Jar- 

 dine, Bart., the editor makes the following statement. — " Mr Audu- 

 bon has figured a bird very closely aUied in plumage, under the name 

 of Ammodramus Henslowii, and, in the letter-press, has described it 

 as Henslow's Bunting, Emheriza Henslowii. It will evidently come un- 

 der the first genus, and if new and distinct, will form a third North 

 American species. It is named after Professor Kexslow of Cambridge, 

 and was obtained near Cincinnati. There is no account of its history and 

 habits.'" — Vol. ii. p. 78. I have already shewn that the species is a per- 

 fectly distinct one, but its affinities are not with Ammodramus. During 

 my last three years' rambles in the United States, my friends, my assist- 

 ants, and myself, procured hundreds of specimens of the Henslow's 

 Bunting, and gained much information respecting its habits, which are 

 totally different from those of Fringilla caudacuta or F. maritivia. The 

 Henslow Bunting is never found near salt water marshes, as these spe- 

 cies always are, but spends its life on dry elevated meadows and in sandy 

 open pine forests, where it passes the winter in the Southern and Western 

 Districts. As to the similarity of colouring alluded to, I cannot see the 

 least resemblance between the birds in question, in that respect, more 

 than in size or shape. This might have become apparent, had he com- 

 pared my figure of the Henslow Bunting with that given by Wilson 

 which in my humble opinion is incorrect. I have not represented the 

 nest of F. maritima along with my figures of that bird, although this 

 has been asserted. 



