FBINGILLIDJE : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPABB0W8, ETC. oil 



mandible sometimes yellowish. Decidedly larger than belli proper, though so little difierent in 

 color; wing and tail fully 3.00, if not more; hill 0.35; tarsus 0.75. Southern Eoeky Mt- 

 region, N. to 40° and beyond, resident ; abounding in the sage-brush deserts of Nevada., 

 Utah, New Mexico and AriEona. Nesting as in P. belli; eggs 0. SO X 0.60, pale greenish, pro- 

 fusely speckled with reddish-brown and blackish-brown, with purplish shell-markings. 

 82. JUN'CO. ('?Lat. juncus, a reed.) Snow Spaeeows. Snow-bieds. Bill small, strictly 

 conic. Wings rather long, the primaries much surpassing the short inner secondaries in the 

 closed wing; usually 2d, 8d, and 4th quills longest, 5th httle shorter, then 1st and 6th. Tarsus 

 a little longer than middle toe and claw ; lateral toes subequal, their claws about reaching base 

 of middle claw. Tail about as long as wings, sUghtly emarginate or about even, of rather 

 narrcjw but firm feathers, rounded oval at ends. A beautiful genus ; adults unspotted, 

 unstreaked, the colors massed in large definite areas ; belly, crissum, and 2-3 lateral tail-feathers 

 white ; bill whitish, or black and yellow. Length 6 or 7 inches ; wing and tail about 3 inches. 

 Sexes subsimilar, but ^ clearer and purer in coloration ; young entirely different, quite streaky. 

 Nest on the ground; eggs speckled. One common Eastern species; in the West the Junco 

 stock split into numerous forms, all of which intergrade with each other, and mth the Eastern 

 bird. Almost all late writers have taken a hand at Jtmco, shuffling them about in the vain 

 attempt to decide which are "species" and which " varieties." All are either, or both, as we 

 may elect to consider them ; for the degree of difference between almost any two of the nearest 

 related ones is about the same. The distinctions between the typical styles of each are very 

 nice and easily perceived. The theory of hybridization advanced to account for the connecting 

 links simply restates without explaining the case ; for interbreeding is just one of the conditions 

 of intergraded species, keeping them from positive distinctness. Upon this understanding the 

 recognizable styles of Junco may all be treated alike. Adult male birds of the several forms 

 afl'ord the following 



Analysis of Species or Subspecies. 

 Bill flesh-color. 



Blackisli-ash, without reddisli tints ; sides ashy. 



No white wing-bars hiemahs 261 



Two white wing-bars ctUceni 262 



(mixed characters of first and next connectens 262a 



Sooty-black on head and breast ; back reddish ; sides pinkish oref/onus 263 



(mixed characters of last and next annectens 264 



Ashy on head and breast; interscapulars alone reddish caniceps 265 



Bill black and yellow. 



(mixed characters of last and next dorsalis 266 



Ashy on head and breast ; interscapulars and wing-coverts reddish cinereus 26T 



Setting aside aikeni as a special offshoot, we have hiemalis connected with oregonvs by 

 birds possessing pink sides and ashy back, or reddish back and ashy sides; this .style may be 

 named connectens. Similarly, oregonus and caniceps are annexed by gray-headed red-backed 

 birds with pink sides; this is anmctetis. And again, but more remarkably, the pink-billed 

 caniceps is affixed with the black-and-yeUow-billed cinereus by dorsalis, which has the bill of 

 the latter, but otherwise resembles the former. 

 261. J. hiema'Us. (Lat. hiemalis, wintry; hiems, mnter. Fig. 236.) Easteen Snow-bied. 

 Black Snow-bird. Blackish-ash, below abruptly pure white from the breast, the sides shaded 

 with ashy. In the $ , and most fall and winter specimens, the upper parts have a more grayish, 

 or even a decidedly brownish, cast, and the inner secondaries are edged with pale bay. / , iii full 

 dress : The slaty-black intense on the head ; belly and crissum pure white, the line between 

 the two transverse or convex forward ; wings and tail blackish, with slightly hoary edging of 

 some ofthe feathers ; 2-3 lateral tail feathers pure white, wholly or in greatest part. No rusty- 

 brown on back or sides; any shade on the sides ashy, not pinkish. Bill pinkish- white, or 

 flesh-color, usually black -tipped. Length 6.00-6.50 ; extent 9.50-10.00 ; wing 3.00-3.25 ; tail 

 rather less. These extremes uncommon; average 6.25—9.75—3.10. 9, in summer: The 



