FBINGILLIBJE : FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SP ARROWS, ETC. 397 



wing-coverts, scapulars and interscapulars are fuUy marked with white ; the black tends to 

 olive, at least on rump, and the 9 is not fairly brown. Central region of N. Am., from the 

 limit of erythropkthalmus in Kaasas, Nebraska, and Dakota, to that of oregonus in Oregon and 

 Washington ; in the S. Eocky Mt. region melting into megahnyx. 



305. P. m. megalo'nyx. (fieydXri, megale, great ; 3ro|, onux, claw.) Spurred Towhbe Bunting. 

 The prevailing form in the S. Kooky Mt. region, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Pre- 

 cisely like a/rcUcus, but feet larger, with highly-developed claws ; hind claw decidedly longer 

 than its digit ; lateral claws reaching to or beyond middle of middle claw. In this form at any 

 rate, the 9 is hardly distinguishable in color from the (J , being slaty-blackish with an appreci- 

 able olivaceous shade, thus exhibiting a decided approach to the typical Mexican stock. The 

 note is entirely diflferent from that of the Eastern Towhee, being so exactly like the scolding 

 "mew" of a cat-bird, that I have heard persons stoutly contend that there are cat-birds in 

 Arizona. The general habits, nest and eggs of all these Western Towhees are substantially 

 the same as those of the Eastern. 



[P. fus'cus. (Lat. fuscus, dark brown.) Mexican Brown Towheb. An obscure Mexican 

 stock form, carelessly described by Swainson, to which the three following N. Am. birds are 

 probably referable as varieties.] 



306. P. f . mesoleu'cus. (Gr. /neVoi, mesos, middle ; Xevicos, kiMOS, white ; the middle under parts 

 whiter than in crissalis.) Brown Towhee. Canon Towhee. S, 9 '• Above, uniform 

 grayish-brown with a slight olivaceous shade; crown brown in appreciable contrast; wings 

 and tail like the back, unmarked, or some tail-feathers with rusty tips. Below, a paler shade 

 of the color of the back, whitening on the belly, tinged with falvous and streaked with dusky 

 on the sides , of throat and middle of breast, washed with rich rusty-brown on the flanks and 

 crissum. The belly is usually quite white, contrasting with the rusty flanks and vent ; the 

 throat is ochrey, usually immaculate and embraced necklace- wise with dusky spots in series on 

 each side, aggregated and blotched on the breast. Bill dusky, paler below ; feet brown, toes 

 usually darker than tarsus. Sexes indistinguishable. In fresh fall specimens, the tawny 

 suffuses nearly all the under parts except middle of belly, and the throat spots are diffused 

 instead of being in series. In the very early streaked stage, there is no distinction of a brown 

 cap ; the wing-coverts are rusty-edged ; and the whole under parts are dusky -streaked. Length 

 8.00-8.50; wing 3.60-4.00; tail 4.25-4.60. S. W. U. S., chiefly New Mexico and Arizona, 

 but also W. Texas, S. Colorado, Utah and Nevada, and interior of Southern California. Nest 

 in bushes ; eggs, as in aU the Brown Towhees, specked and scratched with blackish on a pale 

 greenish ground. (P. fuscus of the Key, orig. ed.) 



307. P. f . albi'gula. (Lat. albus, white ; gula, throat.) White-throated Brown Towhee. 

 Exactly like the last, but the white of the under parts extending further up the breast, the 

 gular spots more restricted, sparser, and better defined. Lower California. Slightly distin- 

 guished ; but in good spring specimens the rusty is restricted to the crissum ; the ochraceous of 

 the throat is less extensive, paler, and mainly confined within the necklace. 



30 . P. f. crissa'lis. (Low Lat. crissaUs, relating to the crissum, the under tail-coverts, which are 

 highly colored.) Crissal Towhee Bunting. California Towhee. SimUar to mesoleucus; 

 crown like the back ; rather darker above, with an olivaceous tinge, decidedly so below, the 

 middle of the belly scarcely or not whitening, the gular fulvous strong, and, with its dusky 

 streaks, definitely restricted to the throat ; the flanks and crissum chestnut or deep cinnamon- 

 brown. Rather larger : wing 4.00 ; tail 5.00; 9 rather less. Coast region of California (and 

 northward?), abundant. Nest in bushes, probably also on ground; eggs 3-4, 0.95 X 0.72, 

 pale greenish or bluish-white, fully spotted with blackish and neutral tints. This is the dark 

 coast form, bearing the same relation to mesoleucus that the coast Ha/rporhyneJms redimvus 

 bears to the paler H. lecontii of the interior. The crown is brownish, but not forming a cap 

 contrasting with the back ; the throat is fulvous rather than ochrey ; this color of very limited 



