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genus dealt with in comparison, the one in the A. 0. U. List being 

 used. Wilson knew of but eight birds that he called buntings, 

 the first of these being the Bay-winged bunting, now called the 

 Vesper sparrow (Pooewtes), and to it two subspecies have been 

 added since his time. The Black-throated bunting (2), now 

 widely known as the Dickcissel (Spiza), still remains the sole 

 representative of its genus. The Cow bunting, as well as the 

 Rice bunting of this author, are members of the family Icteridce, 

 so this reduces his list of these birds to six. Next, of the genus 

 Passerina, Wilson knew of the Painted bunting (P. ciris), still 

 so called (3), and the Indigo bird (P. cyanea), our Indigo bunt- 

 ing. Two other beautiful species and a subspecies have been 

 here added since his time. One Snow bunting (4) was known to 

 Wilson, our Snowflake (Plectrophenax), and the genus has been 

 increased by another species and a subspecies; and while he 

 knew of but the one Towhee (Plpilo) (5), we now recognize no 

 less than four species of this familiar bird, and eight subspecies. 

 Equally remarkable is the record for the White-crowned bunt- 

 ing (6), our White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia), of which he 

 knew but the one species, while the genus now contains four spe- 

 cies and two subspecies, the only other one of it known to him 

 being the White-throated Sparrow (Z. alMcollis). 



Wilson knew both species of those very interesting birds 

 known as crossbills (Loooia), to which is now to be added the 

 Mexican crossbill (L. c. stricldandi) , and the American crossbill 

 has been reduced to a subspecies (L. curvirostra minor Gurvi- 

 rostra americana). These birds are so remarkable, meriting as 

 they do a special description, that I shall at the close of the pres- 

 ent chapter, give a special account of them. 



Of the genus Spinus, Wilson knew of but one little common 

 Yellowbird, or Goldfinch, and the Pine siskin, or, as he called it, 

 the Pine finch, while we have since d : scovered or added to the 

 avifauna no less than three other goldfinches with their three 

 subspecies. Our well-known Purple finch (Garpodacus) was, of 

 course, familiar to him, but the genus now contains, in addition, 

 two other species and two subspecies. 



Wilson also described the Savanna finch, the Seaside finch, 

 and the Sharp-tailed finch, all of which he retained in the genus 

 Fringilla. These birds are now placed in the genus Ammodramus, 

 and including those just mentioned, it contains no less than ten 

 species and eleven subspecies. But even still more interesting 



