FBINGILLID^ : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPABEOWS, ETC. 



367 



streaks on the sides. General coloration more or less buff, according to age and season. 

 Crown with black lateral stripes, separated by a whitish stripe becoining oehrey on forehead. 

 Sides of head buflF, brightest on the lojig broad superciliary line, enclosing slaty-gray auriculars, 

 which are bordered above by a black post-ocular line, sometimes chiefly appearing as a dark speck 

 behind them. Cervical feathers bay, black-shafted and' whitish-edged, forming a distinct inter- 

 val between markings of back and crown. Dorsal feathers in bold pattern, with black terminal 

 central field, little rufous and much whitish or buffy edging ; streaking extending on rump and 

 upper tail-coverts. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries colored boldly to correspond with the 

 back. Under parts bufiy-white, sometimes quite whitish, again much more bufiy, with season, 

 usually quite buff with only beUy whitish. Fresh moulted fall birds are often entirely deep 

 buff below, excepting the beUy, which is white, in marked contrast. Young : Bill still smaller, 

 reddish-brown instead of bluish ; general color buff above, whitish below, more or less buffy on 

 breast and sides ; markings of upper parts black, without the bay and brown variegation, except 

 on wings and tail, which are nearly as in the adults ; sparse black streaks of under parts usually 

 appearing across breast as well as on sides. An interesting, long-lost species, recently redis- 

 covered : Yellowstone R. {AuiUbon, 1843) ; Texas (Lmcecuni) ; Dakota (Coues, 1873) ; 

 'Illinois (Nelson, 1875) ; Iowa (Newton, 1875) ; Minnesota (Tiffany, 1878) ; South Carolina ! 

 (Loomis, 1881.) Approaching Ammod/ramus eaudacutus in many respects, and inhabiting 

 similar resorts in the interior. Nest and eggs still unknown. 

 78. AMMO'DRAMUS. (Gr. afinos, ammos, sand ; hpaftxiv, dramein, to run.) Sea-side Spar- 

 EOWS. Bm remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen decurved toward 

 end, gonys straight, and sometimes an 

 evident lobation of the cutting edge of 

 the upper mandible. "Wings short and 

 rounded, yet longer than taU ; inner sec- 

 ondaries, though not elongate, reaching 

 nearly to end of primaries when wing 

 is closed ; point formed by 2d-4th quiQs. 

 Feet large and stout, reaching out- 

 stretched about to end of tail; tarsug 

 about equal to middle toe and claw in 

 length ; lateral toes of equal lengths, 

 very short, their claws underreaohing 

 base of middle claw. Tail shorter or 

 not longer than wings, much rounded, 

 of narrow, stiffish, sharp-pointed feath- 

 ers. Embracing small streaky marsh 

 sparrows, especially of the sea-coast, 

 but not exclusively maritime, as long 

 supposed; remaxkable for slendemess 

 of the bai, sharp narrow tail-feathers, and stout feet iitted for grasping slender swaying reeds. 

 Edge of wing bright yeUow ; a yellow spot or buff stripe on head ; upper parts olive-gray or 

 quite blackish, streaky. 



Ajialysig qf Species. 

 Loral spot »nd edge of wing bright yellow. 



Upper parts olive-gray obscurely streaked mcmtimus 238 



Upper parts quite blackish nigrescens 239 



A long buff superciliary stripe eaudacutus 240-241 



238. A. mari'timus. (Lat. »»an*M»Ms, maritime, coast- wise; more, the sea. Fig. 230.) Sea-side 

 Finch. Olive-gray, obscurely streaked on back and crown with darker and paler ; below, whit- 

 ish, often washed with brownish, shaded on sides with color of. back, and with ill-defined dark 



Fig 230 — Generic details of j4romodrom«s (A. eaudacutus), 

 nat. size. (Ad. nat. del. B. C.) • 



