FBINGILLIDM : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPABBOWS, ETC. 381 



273. 



373. 



»74. 



ashy parts of domestica replaced by pale brownish. Back bright bay, with black streaks and 

 some pale flaxen edgings ; inner secondaries similarly variegated ; tips of median and greater 

 coverts forming whitish cross-bars. Size of domestica, but more nearly the colors of monUcola. 

 Length 5.25-5.75 ; extent 7.75-8.40 ; wing 2.30-2.50 ; tail quite as much, or more, thus not 

 shorter than wing, as it is in the last. Sexes alike ; young for a short time streaked below, as 

 usual in SpiseUa. Eastern U. S., strictly ; hardly N. throughout New England, W. only to the 

 edge of the Plains ; migratory ; breeds usually from Virginia northward, and winters from the 

 same southward ; very abundant in fields, copses, and hedges, in flocks when not breeding. 

 Nest indifferently in low bushes or on ground ; eggs whitish, fully speckled with rusty-brown, 

 0.68 X 0.50. 



S. pal'lida. (Lat. pallida, pale.) Clay-colored Spakrow. Crown and back clay-oolored 

 or flaxen, distinctly streaked with' black, without evident bay, the dorsal streaks noticeably 

 separated from those of the crown, by an ashier, less streaked, cervical interval ; rump brown- 

 ish-gray. Crown divided by a pale median stripe ; a distinct whitish superciliary li^ie ; loral 

 and auricular regions decidedly brown, with a dark postoeular stripe over the aurioulars, and 

 another from the angle of the mouth, bounding the brown area inferiorly ; below this a dusky 

 maxiUary streak ; wing-coverts and inner secondaries variegated like the back, being black with 

 broad flaxen-brown edging and whitish tipping. Below, white, soiled with clay-color. Bill 

 dusky above, pale below ; feet pale. Small: Length 5.00-5.25, rarely 5.50; extent 7.40-7.75. 

 rarely 8.00 ; wing and tail, each, about 2.50. Young birds lightly streaked below. Central 

 region of the U. S. into British America, Saskatchewan and Ked Kiver regions ; S. to Texas ; 

 E. to Iowa and Illinois. Abundant ; nest in bushes close to ground ; eggs 3-4, pale green 

 sparsely speckled with rich brown ; 0.63 X 0.50. 



S. brew'eri. (To Dr. T. M. Brewer, of Boston.) Brewer's Sparrow. Similar ; paler and 

 duller, all the markings indistinct; streaks of crown and back small, numerous, not separated 

 by a cervical interval ; no deflnite markings on sides of head. Upper parts grayish-brown, 

 with marked dorsal area of brighter brown, and continuously streaked from head to tail. Size 

 of the last, but tail relatively longer, exceeding the wings — about 2. 66 long, thus equalling, if 

 it does not somewhat exceed, that of domestica, although the latter is a larger bird. South- 

 western U. S., especially New Mexico and Arizona ; said to have occurred in Massachusetts ; 

 habits those of pallida; nest and eggs indistinguishable. 



S. atrigula'ris. (Lat. atrigula/ris, black-throated; ater, black; gula, throat.) Black- 

 chinned Sparrow. $, adult : Dark ash, fading insensibly into whitish on the belly, 

 deepening to black on the face and throat ; interscapulars bright bay, streaked with black ; 

 wing-ooverts and inner secondaries variegated with the same colors ; tail blackish, with pale edg- 

 ings ; bOl coral red as in S. agrestis; feet dark brown. A small-bodied species, but full 6.00 



long, on account of the great 

 _ length of the tail (2.75-3.00), 



which much exceeds the wings 



(2.25-2.50; extent 7.75). The 



young lack black on the face, 



have the crown washed with 



ashy-brown, the iniddle of the 



back duller chestnut, and the 



bill dusky above ; but may be 



known by the length of the tail. 



Mexico, Lower California, Ari- 



PlG. 240. —Crown Sparrow, 

 (white-crowned), nat. size. (Ad. 

 nat. del. E. C.) 



84. 



Fig. 239. — Crown Sparrow (white- 

 throated), nat. size. (Ad nat. del. 

 E. C.) 



ZONOTRICH'IA. (Gr. fawj, eone, a girdle, band ; rpixias, trichias, name of a bird. Figs. 



239, 240.) Crown Sparrows. Embracing our largest and handsomest sparrows, 6.50 to 



