o!J8 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSERES— OSCINES. 



extent, and speckled with dusky throughout; the crissum rich rusty. (It is the P. fusciis, 

 Cuss., 111., lS5i, pi. 17 ; Bd., 1858 ; hut uut the true fusciis of Sw. ; Fringilla crissalis, 

 Vigors, 1839.) 



309. P. a'berti. (To Lieut. J. W. Abert.) Abert's Towhee. Gray Towhee. Somewhat 

 siuiilar to the foregoing species of this section of the genus, hut entirely distinct ; a very 

 large, long-tailed form, with no decided markings anywhere excepting the dark face. Above, 

 grayish-brown, with a slight fulvous tinge ; wings and tail darker and purer brown, the tail- 

 feathers slightly rusty-tipped. Below as above, but paler, by dilution with a peculiar pale 

 piukish-browu shade (hke that on the side of an Oregon snow-bird), pai-ticularly on the throat ; 

 crissum more cinnamon-broivn ; lores and chin blackish. Bill and feet brown ; under mandible 

 paler than the upper. Young more rusty. There is much individual variation in shade, but 

 this large dingy whole-colored bird with dark face is always easily recognized. ' Length about 

 9.00; wing 3.40-3.70 ; tail 4.50-5.00 ; tarsus 1.00-1.10. New Mexico and Arizona, abundant, 

 especially in the valley of the Gila and Colorado, where we find it a wild and shy inhabitant of 

 thickets and chaparral; N. to Colorado and Utah. Nest iu bushes, loose and bulky; eggs 3-4, 

 1.00 X 0.75, bluish-white, sparingly speckled and scrawled with blackish. 



310. P. chloru'rus. (Gr. x^wpos, chJoros, green; ovpa, oura, taU.) Green-t.4Iled Towhee. 

 Blanding's Finch. ^, 9j adult: Above, grayish-green, sometimes quite olive-gray, at 

 i>thers bright ohve-green, the exposed surfaces of the wings and tail with brighter g]'eenish 

 edgings. Edge of wing and under coverts and axiUaries bright yellow. Crown rich chestnut ; 

 forehead blackish, with a whitish loral spot on each side. Chin and throat pure white, hounded 

 by dusky maxillary stripes as sharply contrasted as in the wliite-throated sparrow with dark 

 siuToundings. Whole breast and sides of head, neck and body fine clear ash, or slate-gray, 

 ol)scured on the flanks and crissum with brownish, fading to white on the belly; completing 

 the resemblance to .^0)JOft-(c/ii(i aXbicolUs. Bill blackish-plumbeous; feet brown, toes darker. 

 Length about 7.00; extent 9.50; wing 2.80-3.20: tail 3.40-3.70; tarsus 0.95. Less mature 

 bhds have the chestnut cap veiled by gray tips of the feathers. Young ; Crown like back. 

 Upper parts duU brown tinged with greenish in places, streaked throughout with dusky, but 

 wings and tail as in the adult ; under parts forecasting the pattern of the adults, but dusky- 

 streaked throughout. This stage is brief and the birds resemble the adults after the first fall 

 moult. An interesting bird, of no intimate relations with any other ; it has long been con- 

 ventionally placed iu Fipilo, for want of a better location ; it is not easy to see how it difi'ers in 

 form from Zonotrichia or Emhernagra. Southwestern U. S., especially S. Rocky Mts. ; N. to 

 Wyoming and Idaho ; migratory ; winters over our border. A sprightly inhabitant of shrub- 

 bery ; nest iu bush or on the ground ; eggs 0.90 X 0.68, pale greenish or grayish- white, freckled 

 all over with bright reddish-brown, usually aggregating or wreathing at the larger end. 



97. EMBERNA'GRA. (A vUlanous compound of emheriza, a bunting, and tanagra, a tan- 

 ager ; the former is only Latinized from Old German, the latter is South American.) The 

 integrity of the genus is questionable. Said to contain several extralimital species not nearly 

 allied to ours. It is difficult to see how the following species differs more than specifically from 

 Pijnlo chlorurus. It offers the following details of form : Bill not notable in any way. Tarsus 

 exceeding the middle toe and claw. Lateral toes short ; outer a little longer than inner ; claw 

 of neither reaching base of middle claw ; fore claws all small and weak ; hind claw about as 

 long as its digit. Wings very short and much rounded ; 4th to 7th primaries alH>ut equal and 

 longest ; 2d as long as 9th ; 1st equalling the 3d from the innermost secondary. Tail about as 

 long as the wings, much rounded, the outer feathers half an inch shorter than the middle ones ; 

 all broad to their rounded ends. Coloration oUvaceous with yellow edge of wing and incon- 

 si)icuous head-stripes. 



311. E. rufovlrga'ta. (Lat. tm/o, with rufous, virgata, striped; virga, a. roA.) Green Fi>;tii. 

 Texa.s Sparrow, g, adult: Above, dull olive-green, brighter on wings and tail. Uudir 



