FBINGILLID^ : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, ETC. 373 



80. PEUC^'A. (Gr. iTtvKri, peuce, a pine ; not well applied except to P. cestwaKs.) Summer 

 Finches. BUI of moderate size, rather elongate-conic, upper mandible declivous toward end, 

 commissure bent. Wings short and much rounded, folding little if any beyond base of tail, the 

 inner secondaries not elongated. Tail little or much longer than wing, much rounded, the 

 lateral feathers some i an inch shorter than the middle ; of weak narrowly linear feathers with 

 elliptioally rounded ends. Feet small and weak, not reaching when outstretched nearly to end 

 of tail ; tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw ; lateral toes equal, short, their claws not 

 nearly reaching base of middle claw. Adults scarcely or not streaked below ; crown chestnut 

 or (oftener) quite like back, streaked with rusty-brown, black, and gray. A superciliary and 

 post-ocular stripe, but usually none running under aurioulars ; more or less distinct black 

 maxillary stripes. Edge of wing yellow (in most species. These nest on the ground and lay 

 white eggs). 



Analysis of Species (adults). 



Edge of wing yellow. Crown not uniform chestnut; no chestnut on lesser wing-ooTerts. Maxillary stripes 



slight. Nest on ground; eggs white. 

 Broadly marked above with rufous streaks or blotches on ashy ground, with black centres of the 



streaks on middle of back. Tail-feathers plain, or only with obscure whitish area . . oestivalis 251-253 

 Marked above with pale brown black-centred streaks, these black centres enlarged transversely at 



their ends on the middle of back. Tail-feathers shafted and barred with blackish, the outer broadly 



edged and tipped with white ... cassini 264 



Edge of wing not yellow. Crown chestnut. Maxillary stripes heavy. 



No chestnut on lesser wing-coverts . ruflceps 255-256 



A chestnut patch on lesser wing-coverts carpalis 25T 



351. P. sestiva'Us. (Lai. (Bstivalis, like (esUvus, summer j; teste, summer.) Bachman's Summer 

 Finch. Upper parts, including crown, continuously streaked with blackish, dull chestnut and 

 ashy-gray ; no yellow about head ; wing-coverts and inner secondaries marked like the back ; 

 edge and bend of wing yellow, as in Cotu/rniculus passerinus. Below, dull brownish-ash, or 

 brownish-gray, whitening on the belly, deepest on sides and across breast, nowhere obviously 

 streaked in adult plumage. Some obscure dusky maxillary streaks, some vague dusky mark- 

 ings on aurioulars, a slight ashy superciliary line, and very obscure median ashy line on crown. 

 Bill dark above, pale below ; legs very pale ; lateral claws falling far short of base of middle 

 claw; hind claw much shorter than its digit ; tarsus not longer than middle toe and claw ; tail 

 much rounded, with obscure grayish-white area on the lateral feathers. Yovmg have the breast 

 and sides evidently streaked. Length 5.75-6.20, average 5.90; extent 7.60-8.30, average 8.00; 

 wing 2.J.7-3.55, average 2.40 ; tail 2.25-2.68, average 2.50. South Atlantic States, strictly, 

 and especially a bird of pine barrens, common in suitable localities ; a fine songster. Nest on 

 the ground, of grasses; eggs 4, 0.75 X 0.60, pure white. As the first described species of the 

 genus, this has been used as a standard of comparison ; but it is the most modified oflfshoot of a 

 genus which focusses in the Southwest and Mexico. 



252. P. 86. illinoen'sis. (Of Illinois.) Illinois Summer FiNCH. Oak-woods Sparrow. Above, 

 sandy-ferruginous, indistinctly streaked with light ashy-gray, the streaks broadest on the back 

 and middle line of crown ; interscapulars sometimes with narrow black streaks. Wings light 

 ferruginous, the greater coverts less reddish and edged with paler ; inner secondaries dusky, 

 bordered at ends with paJe reddish ash. TaU plain grayish- brown, vtdth ashy edgings of the 

 feathers. Sides of head, neck, and body and breast quite across, dingy buflF-color, deepest on 

 breast, paler on throat and chin ; a post-ocular rusty-brown streak over the auriculars ; sides 

 of neck streaked with the same ; an indistinct dusky streak on side of throat ; belly dull white ; 

 crissum buff ; edge of wing bright yellow ; biU pale horn-color, darkest above ; feet pale 

 brown ; iris brown. Size of cesUvalis; vring a little longer, 2.35-2.60, average 2.50 ; tail 2.55- 

 8.80, average 2.70 ; bUl thicker ; black streaks of upper parts, instead of being generally dis- 

 tributed, few and confined to the interscapulars ; breast and sides more buffy. Illinois to 

 Texas. (Like eesUvalis proper, but quite different from any of the following forms.) 



