37f 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



out its range, wiutcriiig nearly throughout ; one of the common winter spari-oxvs of the Middle 

 States. A very abundant bird everywhere in shrubbery and tangle, garden, (jrchard, and park, 

 as well as swanjp and brake. A hearty, sunny songster, whose quivering pipe is cjften tuned 

 to the most dreary scenes ; the limpid notes being one of the few snatches of Ijird niehjdy tliat 

 enlivens winter. Nesting various, in a bush near the ground, or a grass tuft, or on the ground : 

 eggs i-6, O.lo-O.^o X (J. .55-0. 60, greenish or grayish-white, endlessly varied with browns, from 

 reddish to chocolate as surface-markings, and lavender or purplish shell-markings, either 

 speckled, bhjtched, or clouded : no general effect describable in few words. Two or three 

 briKids may be reared, 



245. M. f. fal'lax, (Lat, fallax, fallaci(jus, deceitful : well named.) Gray Song Sparrow. 

 Extremely siuiilar; the first and least departure from /f(,scMto, and scarcely ili.sfinguishable ; 

 tail rather hjnger ; tone of upper parts paler, 



grayer ; the streaks not so obviously blackish 

 in the centre and with less rufous ; obsolete 

 on rump. Scjuthern Rocky Mt. region and 

 Great Basin. 



248. M. t. heer'manni, (To Dr. A. L. Heer- 

 mann.) Heekmakn'.s Song Sparrow. Sim- 

 ilar : tone of upper parts grayish, the streaks 

 numerous, broad, distinct, with little rufuus 

 and mostly lacking pale edging, obsolete on 

 the rump. Size of fasciata. California. 



249. M. f. samue'lis. (To E, Samuels.) Samuels' 

 Song Sparrow. Similar to the last, in dis- 

 tinctness of the black streaks, which are not 

 obsolete on rump ; tone of upper parts ashy- 

 gray. Very small, scarcely 5.00 ; wing 2.00 ; 

 tail 2.30. California coast. 



246. M, f. gutta'ta. (Lat. gxttafa, marked with 

 drop-hke spots.) Oregon Song Sparrow. 

 Decidedly different. The streaking diffuse, 

 the streaks above and below dark rufous- 

 brown, without black centres or pale edges. 

 Coloration blended, the general tone ruddy ; 

 under parts extensively shaded with brownish, except on belly. About the size of fasciata, 

 or rather larger. Pacific coast, U. S. and British Columbia. This form was recognized as dis- 

 tinct by Audubon, who wrongly called it FringUla cinerea Gm. ; and by Nnttall, who named 

 it F. guttata, and compared it with the fox sparrow, from its resemblance in color to Passerella 

 iliaca. 



247. ]>!. f. rufl'na. (Lat, rvfina, reddish,) Rt;sTY SoNG Sparrow. Quite like guttata; larger 

 and darker ; tcjne (jf upper parts smoky-brown, the streaking very dark. Wing and tail about 

 •100. Pacific coast, British Columbia and northward. (Combined by Baird with the last, 

 under name of ilf. riifina.) 



250. M, cine'rea. (Lat. cinerea, ashy.) Cinereous Song Sparrow^. Kadiak Song Sparrow. 

 Peculiar in size, shape, and color. Above, brownish slate-color, more rufous on wings, the 

 streaking broad and blended, very dark, BeloM', plumbeous-whitish, shaded with brown on 

 sides, the streaks broad, diffuse, and' dark. Spring and fall plumages differ mucli, but the bird 

 may be recognized by its great size. Length about 7.00 ; wing 3. .30 ; tail 3.50 ; bill very long, 

 slender for its length ; culmen about 0.60 ; depth at base 0.30. Kadiak, Alaska ; Aleutian 

 Islands. {FringUla cinerea Gm. M. insignis Bd.) 



Fig 234. 

 Nichols sc. ) 



-Song Spa^ro^v, reduced. (Slieiniard del. 



