FBINGILLIB^E : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPABEOWS, ETC. -iio 



80. PEUC^'A. (Gr. TTfvKrj, pence, a pine; not well applied except to P. ajstivalts.) .Summer 



Finches. Bill of moderate size, rather elongate- conic, upper mandible declivous toward eml, 



commissure bent. Wings short and much rounded, folding little if any beyond base (.if tail, the 



inner sectmdaries not elongated. Tail little or much longer than wing, mucli rounded, the 



lateral feathers some i an inch shorter than the middle; of weak narrowly lineai' fi.'athers with 



ellipti(\ally rounded ends. Feet small and weak, not reaching when outstretched nearly to end 



of tail; tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw; lateral toes equal, short, their chiws not 



nearly reaching base of middle claw. Adults scarcely or not streaked below; crown chestnut 



or (oftener) quite like back, streaked with rusty-brown, black, and gray. A superciliary and 



post-ocular stripe, but usually none running under auriculars ; more or less distinct black 



maxillary stripes. Edge of wing yellow (in most species. The.se nest on the ground and lay 



white eggs). 



Analijals of Si^acies {acfulfs). 



Edge of wing yellow. Crown not uniform cliestnut ; no chestnut on lesser wing-coverts. Maxillary stripes 



slight. Nest on ground ; eggs white. 

 Broadly marlied above with rufous streaks or blotches on ashy ground, with blaclc centres of the 



streiiks on middle of back. Tail-feathers x.ilain, or only with obscure whitish area . . Kstiralis 251-253 

 Marked above with pale brown black-centred streaks, these black centres enlarged transversely at 



their ends on the middle of hack. Tail-feathers shafted and barre<l with blackish, the outer broadly 



edged and tipped with white ca.isitil 254 



Edge of wing not yellow. Crown chestnut. Maxillary stripes heavy. 



No chestnut on lesser wing-coverts ruficji.-i 255-25(1 



A cliestnut patch on lesser wing-coverts ctrpaJis 257 



251. P. sestiva'lis. (Lat. (E-sfa'^nfe, like (Ssi('w!«.s, summery ; i^sias, summer.) Bachman's Summer 

 Finch. Upper parts, including crown, c(.intinuously streaked with blackish, dull chestnut and 

 ashy-gray ; no yellow about head ; wing-coverts and inner secondaries marked like the l.ia(dv ; 

 edge and bend of M-iug yellow, as in Coturniculits passerinus. Below, dull brownish-ash, or 

 brownish-gray, whitening on the belly, deepest on sides and across breast, nowhere obviously 

 streaked in adult plumage. Some obscure dusky maxillary streaks, some vague dusky mark- 

 ings on aiu'iculars, a slight ashy superciliary line, and very obscure nredian ashy line on crown. 

 Bill dark above, pale below ; legs very pale ; lateral claivs falling far shiirt of base of middle 

 claw; hind claw much shorter than its digit ; tarsus not longer than middle toe and claw ; tail 

 much rounded, with obscure grayish-white area on the lateral feathers. Young have the breast 

 and sides evidently streaked. Length 5.75-6.20, average 5.90; extent 7.60-8.30, average 8.00 ; 

 wing 2.17-3.55, average 2.40 ; tail 2.25-2.68, average 3.50. South Atlantic States, strictly, 

 and especially a bird of pine barrens, C(.immon in suitable localities ; a fine songster. Nest on 

 the ground, of grasses; eggs 4, 0.75 X 0.60, pure white. As the first described species of the 

 genus, this has been used as a standard of comparison ; but it is the most modified offshoot of a 

 genus which focusses in the Southwest and Mexico. 



353. P. se. illinoen'sis. (Of Illinois.) Illinois Summer Finch. Oak-woods Sparrow. Above, 

 sandy-ferruginous, indistinctly streaked with light ashy-gray, the streaks broadest on the back 

 and middle line of crown ; interscapulars sometimes with narrow black streaks. Wings light 

 ferruginous, the gi-eater coverts less reddish and edged with paler ; inner secondaries dusky, 

 bordered at ends with pale reddish ash. Tail plain grayish- brown, with ashy edgings of the 

 feathers. Sides of head, neck, and body and breast quite across, dingy buff-color, deepest on 

 breast, paler on throat and chin ; a post-ocular rusty-brown streak over the auriculars ; sides 

 of neck streaked with the same ; an indistinct dusky streak on side of throat ; belly dull white ; 

 crissum buff ; edge of wing bright yellow ; bill pale horn-color, darkest abo-^'e ; feet pale 

 brown; iris brown. Size of «,sfeaZis; wing a little longer, 2.35-3.60, average 2.50 ; tail 3.55- 

 3.80, average 2.70; bill thicker ; black streaks of upper parts, instead of being generally dis- 

 tributed, few and confined to the interscapulars ; breast and sides more buffy. Illinois to 

 Texas. (Like aestivalis proper, but quite different from any of the following forms.) 



