440 IT. S. 4». E. S. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



JuNCO. — Tail very nearly equal to the wings, slightly emarginate, and decidedly 

 rounded. Outer toe rather longer than inner, reaching the middle claw. No 

 streaks anywhere ; hlack or ash color ahove ; belly white ; with or without, a 

 rufous hack and sides. Outer tail feathers white. 



PoosPiZA.—- Tail lengthened, slightly graduated ; the feathers unusually broad to 

 the end. Bill slender. Wings about as long as the tail, reaching but little 

 beyond its external base. Tertials broad, and, with the secondaries, rather 

 lengthened. Second to fifth quills nearly equal, and longest. Bill dark lead 

 color. Tail black. Uniform brown above ; white beneath. Sides of head with 

 stripes of black and white. 



h. Tail decidedly forked ; a little shorter than the wing, sometimes a little longer. 



SpiZella. — Size rather small. Wings long. Lower mandible largest. Uniform 

 beneath, or with a pectoral spot or black ohin. 



C.^Tail lengthened and graduated ; decidedly longer than the wings, which are very short, 

 scarcely extending beyond the external base of the tail. Feet reaching but little beyond the 

 middle of the tail. Species all streaked above ; streaked or nearly unicolor beneath. No white 

 on wings or tail. Outer lateral toe the longer. First quill not the shortest of the primaries. 



Melospiza. — Culmen and commissure nearly straight. Claws stout ; hinder one 

 as large as its digit. Tail feathers rather broad. Body streaked beneath. 



pBtrcAEA.— Culmen attd commissure curved. Claws weak ; hinder one not much 

 curved, decidedly shorter than its digit. Tail feathers narrow. Without streaks 

 beneath, excepting a narrow maxillary stripe.. 



t). — Tail rather short, and much graduated ; longer than the wings ; the midrib more median. 

 Culmen curved. Tarsus considerably longer than middle toe. Outer toe longer. But little 

 difierence in the length of the quills ; the outer ones much rounded ; even the second quill is 

 shorter than any other primary except the first. 



Embbrnagka. — Color, olive green above. 



CENTRONYX, Baird. 



Ch. — Bill elongated ; the lower mandible smaller ; outlines nearly straight. Tarsus lengthened) considerably eiceedlng the 

 middle toe. Lateral toes equal, not reaching the base of the middle clawi Hind toe very large ; the claw rather longer than 

 its digit, and in its elongation resembling Plectrophanes, but more curved ; the digit and claw together rather longer than the 

 middle toe and claw. Wings very long, reaching beyond the middle of the tail, and beyond the end of the coverts. Tertials 

 shorter than the primaries, and but little longer than the secondaries. Tail short, much lees than from the carpal joint to end 

 of secondaries j little more than tWo-thirds the entire wing. It is slightly forked, and moderately rounded laterally •, the 

 feathers all acute. Color somewhat as in Pdssercutus- 



This genus differs from Passerculus, as stated in the description of the species further on. It 

 would be taken for Plectrophanes on account of its lengthened hind claw, Which, however, is 

 more curved than in that genus ; the tarsi are much longer, the tertials less elongated, and the 

 coloration different, though closely aesembling that of the female Plectrophanes, 



