368 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEEES — OSCINES. 



streaks on breast and sidps ; maxillary stripes of the same ; wings and tail plain dusky, with 

 slight olivaceous edgings ; wing-coverts and inner quills somewhat margined with brown ; 

 edge iif wing bright yellow ; a bright yellow sjjot on lore, and often some vague brownish and 

 dusky marliings on side of head; hUl plumbeous, or dark hom-blue ; feet dark. Length 5.75- 

 6.25; extent S.50; wing 2.25-2.50; taU about 2.00. Eecoguizable on sight by the bright 

 yellow edge of wing and loral spot, witli little varied olive-gray upper parts. Salt marshes of 

 tlie Atlantic and Gulf coast; abundant. North to Massachusetts; breeds throughout its range, 

 and resident in the south, but screened frour casual observation by the nature of its haunts and 

 luiLits. Xest in a tussock of grass just out of water; eggs 0.75 X 0.55, grayish-white, thickly 

 aud pretty evenly marked. 



239. A. ni. nigres'cens. (Lat. nigrescens, growing Idack.) Florida Sea-side Fixch. Like 

 ,1. ■innrttimus; rather smaller bodied, though members not shorter, and conspicuously different 

 iu cdor, being almost entirely black aud 

 •M'hite. TTpper parts sooty-black, slightly 

 variegated with slate-colored edgings of the 

 feathers, and some pale gray edgings of the in- 

 terscapulars. Below white, heavily streaked 

 Aiith Ijlackish everywhere excepting on the 

 throat aud middle of belly. A bright yellow 

 loral sp(it, aud hcud of the wiug bright yel- 

 low (I Kith very conspicuous iu the black 

 plumage). "Wing-cjuills blackish, the inner 

 secondaries ipiite lilack ; all narrowly edged 

 ^^'ith liro"iraish. Tail Ijlack, with gray edg- 

 iugs of the feathers, — these edgings tending 

 ti) form scallops with the black central field. 

 ];ill ami li'et as iu .1. vmritimus. A curi- 

 ous liical race, resident iu Florida. 



340. A. oaudacu'tus. (Lat. Cauda, tail; acidus, 

 sharp. Fig. 231.) Shakp-tailed Finch. 

 Olive-gray, shaqdy streaked on the back 

 with blackisli and whitish, less so on the rump with blackish alone. Crown darker than nape, 

 with brownish -black streaks, tending to form lateral stripes and obscure olive-gray mediau line; 

 no yellow loral spot, but long line over eye and sides of head rich buff or orange-brown, enclos- 

 ing olive-gray auriculars and a dark speck behind them, or dark post-ocular stripe over them. 

 Olive-gray of cervix extending around on sides of neck. Below, white ; the fore parts and 

 sides tinged with yellowish-brown or buff of variable intensity, the breast and sides sbar]ilv 

 streaked with dusky. Greater coverts and inner secondaries with blackish field toward their 

 ends, broadly margined with rusty brown and whitish. Tail-feathers brown, with dusky shaft- 

 strijies and tendency to "water" with crosswise wavy bars. Bill blackish above, pale or 

 not below, feet br(jwn. Coloration in spring and summer clearer and paler, in fall and in 

 young birds more brightly and extensively buff. Eather smaller than A. maritiinus; bill still 

 slenderer, and tail-feathers still narrower and more acute. Length 5.10-5.50; extent 7.50 ; 

 wing 2.25 ; tail 2.00; bill 0.45-0.50; tarsus, or middle toe and claw, 0.75. Salt marshes of 

 the Atlantic and Gulf States, N. abundantly to Maine ; range similar to that of ^. mariiimus, 

 but on the whole more northerly, especially in the breeding season ; nest and eggs similar and 

 scarcely distinguishable. 



241. A. c. nel'soni. (To E. AV. Nelson, of Illinois.) Similar to the last, but smaller, with 

 bill slenderer and longer; colors brighter and markings more sharply defined. Fresh marshes 

 of Illinois and other portions of the Mississippi Valley at large ; N. probably to Canada. 



Sea-side Finch, reduced. (Sheppard del. 



