THE BIRDS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



425 



pale yellowish, darkening on thxoat, whicli is somewhat streaky ; nearly white on 

 abdomen. Tips of primaries and secondaries slightly showing. Wing coverts as far 

 as grown out, about half their length, entirely white; tail just appearing. No. 118964 

 U.S.K.M. Coll. 



Nestling 9 . — Much darker above, with darker streaks; also darker (slaty) and 

 more heavily streaked on the under neck and sides of breast; much less yellowish 

 beneath. No. 118965, U.S.N .M. Coll. 



This difference between th3 sexes is noticeable at a glance at any age of the 

 nestling plumage. As they are growing this difference intensifies, so that the darker 

 slaty-colored females are readily distinguishable from the much paler and tawny 

 males. This color difference also holds good in the sexed specimens of P. nivalis that 

 I have seen. But in nivalis of similar age there is very much less white on the wing 

 coverts and also on the secondaries, and the bill is smaller. 



The nest is quite a cosy affair, about 5 inches in diameter, with an opening of 2J 

 by IJ inches deep. It is made of old weathered grass and plant stems, lined inside 

 with some finer grass and an abundance of white gull feathers which entirely cover 

 the inside. A few long black hairs are also added. The eggs are nearly always six 

 in number, sometimes seven. A set taken June 4, 1890, is pale greenish, profusely 

 spotted and blotched at larger end, sparingly at small end, with some small, distinct, 

 very dark wavy lines, and spots. Blotches dark vinaceous. Large space at large 

 end bare of blotches but not of spots. These eggs vary from 0.93 by. 0.70 to 0.95 by 

 0.70 and 0.94 by 0.72. Another set of six, June 24, is creamy with many blotches of 

 dark vinaceous, and brownish generally covering the larger end and to a great extent 

 the smaller. Small place at center of larger end with few blotches or none. A very 

 few very dark wavy lines on nearly all. These eggs vary in size from the smallest, 

 0.96 by 0.74, to the largest, 1.01 by 0.74. The general color of all these eggs is much 

 darker than in nivalis, the blotches are more numerous and darker, and the eggs are 

 decidedly larger. Base of the bill in the immature is bright yellow, with the tip dark; 

 feet dark gray. In the summer adult the bill and feet are black entirely. Stomach 

 contents, seven specimens : " The snow buntings had obtained maggots (fly larvae) 

 from abundant decaying carcasses. They had also eaten midges by the hundreds 

 and crane flies in quantities. Two of the birds had taken seeds, and one a leaf-eating 

 beetle (Ghrysomellidae)." — (S. D. J.) 



The following measurements were made to show the range of size, the larger 

 measurement in each group indicating by the plumage that the bird was fully adult, 

 while the smaller shows a bird of the previous summer :• 



PASSERINA TOWNSENDI. 



1 Immature townaendi — that is, birds of the previous summer- 

 speoimens of nivalis. 



-are larger than the oldest Alaskan 



