Dickcissel 405 
which measure about ‘78 x ‘59. Aiken found a nest 
on a hill-side near Colorado Springs in a rose bush, con- 
taining three eggs and one of a Cowbird, on June 19th, 
while Dennis Gale gives June 25th to July 5th as the 
average time for finding freshly laid eggs. 
Genus SPIZA. 
Medium-sized Finches—wing under 3-5—with a large bill somewhat 
compressed and acute; the culmen more than half the length of the 
tarsus and the lower mandible deeper than the upper ; nostrils exposed ; 
wing long and moderately pointed, the outer primary (ninth) longer 
than the sixth, often longest of all; inner secondaries slightly lengthened ; 
tail rather short, about -75 of wing, more than half concealed by the 
upper tail-coverts, feathers narrow and pointed, especially when 
unworn ; tarsus about as long or a little longer than the middle toe 
and claw. Plumage streaky brown above with yellow on head and 
throat. 
Only the one species, here described, is generally known. A second 
supposed species is represented by one example in the U.S. National 
Museum. 
Dickcissel. Spiza americana. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 604—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 149; 
Ridgway 73, p. 183 ; Cooke 97, pp. 109, 167, 217 ; Henderson 03, p. 108 ; 
09, p. 238; Smith 08, p. 188. 
Description.—Male—Top and sides of the head grey, generally washed 
with olive-yellow anteriorly ; a yellow superciliary stripe ; rest of the 
upper-surface brown, the middle of the back streaked with black, the 
lesser and middle coverts chestnut; below dull white; a triangular 
black patch on the throat of varying development; middle of the 
breast yellow ; malar stripe and edge of the wing yellow; iris brown, 
upper and tip of lower mandible blackish, lower and sides of upper 
blueish, feet brown. Length 6-50; wing 3-25; tail 2-50; culmen -60 ; 
tarsus -88. 
The female is markedly smaller—wing about 2-90, tail 2-0—and 
duller than the male ; the chestnut wing-patch and black throat-patch 
are absent and the yellow on the head and breast much restricted. 
Young birds have a more buffy tinge and traces of black stripes on the 
flanks. 
Distribution.—Eastern North America, breeding from South Dakota 
and Massachusetts south to the Gulf; south in winter through Mexico 
and Central America to Colombia and Trinidad. Now almost extinct 
as a breeding bird east of the Alleghanies. 
