3i4 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



353. p, se. arizo'nse. (Of Arizona.) Arizona Summer Finch. With a general likeness to P. 

 astiralis, in pattern of coloration, strealiiug of all upper parts, similarity of back to crown, 

 yellow edge of wing, and plain tail feathers ; size same, mng and tail a trifle longer (as in 

 illmoensis). Colors duller and less variegated ; maxillary stripes obscure or obsolete. Upper 

 parts light dull chestnut or reddish-brown, moderately streaked with plumbeous-gray, but 

 reddish tlie prevailing tone; interscapular feathers, and sometimes those of the crown, with 

 blackish centres; a poorly defined light superciliary stripe. Beneath, dull -n'hitisli, uustreaked, 

 the breast and sides with a decided oehrey-brown tinge. Wings dusky, the inner secondaries 

 darker and with more conspicuous rusty-brown edgings than those of the longer quills, and also 

 some whitish edging or tipping. BDl blackish above, pale below ; legs flesh color. Young : 

 above, streaked with blackish and yellowish-gray, showing little reddish ; under parts more or 

 less streaked with dusky. Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southward. (This is 

 ■what I meant by P. var. cassini of the orig. ed. of the Key ; but true cassini is entirely differ- 

 ent. Var. arizoniE is probably identical with Zonotricliia botterii Scl.) 



354. P. cas'sini. (To J(jhn Cassin.) Cassin's Summer Finch. Belonging to the cestivcdis 

 group, with yellow edge of wing, and most resembling var. arizonce; but perfectly distinct. A 

 peculiar character of marking raises groundless suspicion of immaturity. ^ $ , adult : Entire 

 upper parts, from bill to tail, alike in pattern of coloration — a peculiarly intimate variegatiim 

 of ashy-gray, rufous-brown and blackish — the ruddy color occupying most of the featliers, 

 which have a blackish central field and gray edging ; the blackish area on each feather, espe- 

 cially of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, where it is most conspicuous, being hammer- 

 headed, or widened toward the end of tlie feather. Pattern of markings smallest on the cervix. 

 No special head-markings, thongli there is a tendency toward a lateral browner band on the 

 side of the crown, and lirowner post-ocular stripe, separated by a gray interval. Varieeatimi 

 of the upper parts descending on sides of neck ; sides of head with some vague markintcs. 

 Innermost secondaries showing quite blackish in the general field of the upper parts, and edited 

 all around with a firm border of ashy-\vliite or hoary-white. Greater and middle coverts exactly 

 like the inner secondaries ; primaries similar, but the edging not so clear. Edge of wing clear 

 yellow, and some of the least coverts tinged with this color. Tail curiously particolored ; 

 middle pair of feathers light grayish-brown, with a strong dusky shaft-line throwing off numer- 

 ous dusky cross-bars, so that these feathers seem '' watered" with lighter and darker shades. 

 Other tail-feathers, except the outermost pair, are dusky-brown, with pale grayish-brown 

 tenriinal spots increasing in size from the inner feathers outward. On the outermost feather 

 this pale gray space is very large, and rimmed all around with white. An indistinct maxillary 

 stripe on each side of tlie chin. A number of strong well-defined dusky stripes on the flanks ; 

 otherwise, entire under parts unmarked, and of a dingy whitish color, clearest on the belly and 

 throat, more grayish on the sides and across breast. Bill brovm, pale below ; feet pale. 

 Length 6.00-6.25; extent about 8.25; wing 2.50; tail 2.75. Young: Described as very 

 similar, but with a few droji-shaped streaks on the jngulum and along sides ; featliers of upper 

 parts with a more appreciable terminal border of butf. Texas to California, N. to Kansas, S. 

 into jMexico. Habits, nest, and eggs as in P. astiralis (eggs pure white). 



355. P. ru'flceps. (Lat. rnficeps, red-headed.) Rufous-crowned Summer Finch. Belonging 

 to a diiferent section of the genus, without any yellow on edge of wing as in the ffSftyaKs group 

 and cassini. Lesser wing-coverts not chestnut as in P. carpalis. Strong maxillary streaks. 

 (J 9 I adult : Crown bright chestnut, in perfect condition bright and continuous, blackening 

 on forehead, where divided by a short, ■whitish line (whole cap thus as in Spizella socialis or 

 Melosjnza palustris) ; crown, however, oft.ener streaked with olive-ash, especially along a 

 median dividing line, thus assimilating more nearly with colors of other upper parts. An 

 obscure olive-ashy superciliary line, whitening over the lores. Back streaked with olive-ash and 

 chestnut-brown, the latter sometimes distinct, as bold streaking with ashy edging of the 



