432 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Darker artel richer colored throughout than in 

 either M. heermanni or M. samuelis, the gen- 

 eral size much as in former, but bill much 

 more slender and tarsi longer; wing 2.50— 

 2.80 (2.62), tail 2.50-2.70 (2.60), culmen .52- 

 .55 (.54), depth of bill .22-.27 (.25), tarsus .90- 

 .95 (.93). Sab. Southern Mexico (Puebla, 

 Valley of Mexico, etc.). 



M. fasciata mexicana Ridgw. Mexican Song 



Sparrow. 1 

 e ! . Streaks on back rusty, usually without blackish shaft-line; 

 streaks on chest clear rusty or rufous ; length 6.10-6.50, 

 wing 2.40-2.73 (2.59), tail 2.65-3.05 (2.83), culmen .49-.52 

 (.51), depth of bill .27-.29 (.28), tarsus .81-.90 (.86). Sab. 

 Arizona (in lower districts). 

 581a. M. fasciata fallax (Baird). Desert Song Sparrow. 

 d 2 . Markings of plumage more or, less obscured by the prevalent dull 

 rusty or sooty coloring. 

 e 1 . Smaller, with general tone of coloration more rusty ; length 

 about 6.00-7.00, wing 2.43-2.83 (2.63), tail 2.40-2.98 (2.73), 

 culmen .53-.58 (.55), depth of bill .26-.30 (.28), tarsus .87- 

 .92 (.90). Eggs .82 X -59. Sab. Pacific coast district, 

 breeding from western Oregon (and northern California ?) 

 north to British Columbia (Vancouver Island, etc.). 

 581e. M. fasciata guttata (ZsTutt.). Rusty Song Sparrow. 

 e 2 . Larger, with general tone of coloration more sooty ; length 

 about 6.50-7.50, wing 2.62-3.05 (2.87), tail 2.65-3.18 (2.89), 

 culmen .56-.61 (.58), depth of bill .25-.28 (.27), tarsus .95- 

 1.05 (1.00). Sab. Coast of southern Alaska (and northern 

 British Columbia ?). 

 581/. M. fasciata rufina (Brandt). Sooty Song Sparrow. 

 c 2 . "Wing more than 3.10, culmen .64, or more. 



Plumage much as in M. rufina, but decidedly grayer ; length about 



7.50-8.75, wing 3.20-3.50 (3.36), tail 3.08-3.60 (3.44), culmen .64- 



.72 (.69), depth of bill .30-.32 (.31), tarsus 1.05-1.15 (1.11). Eggs 



.89 X -65. Sab. Aleutian Islands, and east to Fort Kenai, Alaska. 



582. M. cinerea (G-mel.). Aleutian Song Sparrow. 



V. Adult with chest grayish (tinged with brown in winter), very indistinctly 



or not at all streaked or otherwise marked ; top of head plain chestnut, 



becoming black on forehead and sides of occiput, or else very broadly 



streaked with black and divided by a more or less distinct median line 



of light ashy or dull buffy ; postocular streak dusky. 



Adult : Sides of head and neck, together with chest, ashy, tinged with 



1 Melospiza melodia, var. mexicana RiDGW., in Hist. N. A. B. ii. 1874, 18. 



