THE BIRDS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



425 



pale yellowish, darkening on throat, which is somewhat streaky; nearly white on 

 abdomen. Tips of i)rimaries and secondaries slightly showing. Wing coverts as far 

 as grown out, about half their length, entirely white; tail just appearing. No. 118964^ 

 U.S.N.M. Coll. 



Nestling 9. — Much darker above, with darker streaks; also darker (slaty) and 

 more heavily streaked on the under neck and sides of breast; much less yellowish 

 beneath. No. 118965, U.S.N. M. Coll. 



This difference between th3 sexes is noticeable at a glance at any age of the 

 nestling i^lumage. As they are growing this difference intensifies, so that the darker 

 slaty-colored females are readily distinguishable from the much paler and tawny 

 males. This color difference also holds good in the sexed sjiecimens of P. nivalis that 

 I have seen. But in nivalis of similar age there is very much less white on the wing 

 coverts and also on the secondaries, and the bill is smaller. 



The nest is quite a cosy affair, about 5 inches in diameter, with an opening of 2^ 

 by IJ inches deep. It is made of old weathered grass and plant stems, lined inside 

 with some finer grass and an abundance of white gull feathers which entirely cover 

 the inside. A few long black hairs are also added. The eggs are nearly always six 

 in number, sometimes seven. A set taken June 4, 1890, is pale greenish, profusely 

 spotted and blotched at larger end, sparingly at small end, with some small, distinct, 

 very dark wavy lines, and spots. Blotches dark vinaceous. Large space at large 

 end bare of blotches but not of spots. These eggs vary from 0.93 by 0.70 to 0.95 by 

 0.70 and 0.94 by 0.72. Another set of six, June 24, is creamy with many blotches of 

 dark vinaceous, and brownish generally covering the larger end and to a great extent 

 the smaller. Small place at center of larger end with few blotches or none. A very 

 few very dark wavy lines on nearly all. These eggs vary in size from the smallest, 

 0.96 by 0.74, to the largest, 1.01 by 0.74. The general color of all these eggs is much 

 darker than in nivalis, the blotches arc more numerous and darker, and the eggs are 

 decidedly larger. Base of the bill in the immature is bright yellow, with the tip dark; 

 feet dark gray. In the summer adult the bill and feet are black entirely. Stomach 

 contents, seven specimens : '^ The snow buntings had obtained maggots (fly larvae) 

 from abundant decaying carcasses. They had also eaten midges by the hundreds 

 and crane flies in quantities. Two of the birds had taken seeds, and one a leaf-eating 

 beetle {Chrysomellidae)J^ — {8. D. J.) 



The following measurements were made to show the range of size, the larger 

 measurement in each group indicating by the plumage that the bird was fully adult, 

 while the smaller shows a bird of the previous summer:' 



PASSE RINA TOWNSENDI. 



Cat. 

 num- 

 ber. 



Sex. 



Date. 



Locality. 



Collector. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Culm'en . 



Tarsus. 



118953 



cf 

 d- 

 d- 

 cf 

 <S 

 ? 

 ? 

 ? 



Juno 19, 1890 



St Paul Island 



W Palmer . .. 



4.60 

 4.48 

 4.43 

 4.37 

 4.27 

 4.21 

 4.20 

 4.11 

 4.11 

 4.10 



3.05 



2.80 

 2.80 

 2.60 

 2.88 

 2.54 

 2.60 

 2.67 

 2. 57 

 2.64 



0.47 

 .49 

 .43 

 .49 

 .43 

 .45 

 .42 

 .41 

 .45 

 .42 



0.97 

 .91 

 .92 

 .88 

 .90 

 93 



64195 



St Geor"'e Island. 



H.W.Elliott .. .. 



62410 



Mav 18,1872 

 June 12,1885 

 June 7,1890 



St Paul Island 



do 



106698 

 118950 



Otter Island . 



C. H. Townsend 



W. Palmer 



64198 



St. Georse Island 



St. Paul Island 



H.W.Elliott 



118959 



June 5,1890 

 June 8,1885 

 J une 20, 1890 

 June 4, 189U 



W. Palmer 



90 



106696 

 1'8960 



Otfer Island 



St. Paul Lsland . 



C.H. Townsend 



W. Palmer 



.92 

 .90 

 90 



118957 



.. do 



.. do 











' Immature town^endi — that is, birds of the ijrevious summer — are larger than the oldest Alaskan 

 specimens of nivalis. 



