BIEDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



171 



Bill rather large (exposed culmen more than half as long as the long 

 tarsus), conical, much deeper than broad at base; depth at base nearly 

 equal to distance from nostril to tip of maxilla; mandible deeper than 

 maxilla, its tomium nearly straight to the subbasal angle, where 

 abruptly deflected; maxillary tomium faintly concave anteriorly, then 

 gently convex, the decided basal deflection beginning directly beneath 

 the nostril; culmen gently convex at base and tip, straight between; 

 gonys very slightly convex, nearly as long as the distance from nostril 

 to tip of maxilla. Nostril exposed, with very narrow overhanging 

 membrane. Rictal bristles small, indistinct. Wing long (more than 

 three times as long as the long tarsus), pointed (ninth primary longest 

 or equal to longest); primaries exceeding secondaries by about the 

 length of the tarsus. Tail about three-fourths as long as wing, more 

 than half hidden by the upper coverts, emarginate, the middle rectrices 

 narrow and pointed. Tarsus a little longer than middle toe with claw 

 (about three-tenths as long as wing and two-fifths as long as tail), its 

 scutella distinct; lateral claws falling decidedly short of base of middle 

 claw; hallux about as long as lateral toes, but much stouter, its claw 

 decidedly shorter than the digit. 



Coloration: Grayish or brownish above, with black streaks on back; 

 head and neck plain grayish, with white or yellow superciliary and 

 malar stripes and at least upper part of throat white. 



Range. — Temperate North America east of Rocky Mountains (south 

 to Colombia in winter). (Two species; one extinct?) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SPIZA. 



a. Under part whitish, with more or less of yellow on breast; adult male with lesser 

 wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous, and with lower throat black. (Eastern United 



States, south to Colombia in winter. ) Spiza americana (p. 171) 



aa. Under parts slate-gray, becoming whitish on abdomen, etc. ; whole throat white; 

 adult male with lesser wing-coverts grayish brown, and with lower throat 

 white. (Eastern Pennsylvania; extinct?) Spiza townsendii (p. 174) 



SPIZA AMERICANA (Gmelin). 

 mCECISSEL. 



Adult male. — Pileum, hindneck, sides of neck, and auricular region 

 plain gray, the forehead and crown usually more or less olive-greenish; 

 narrow superciliary stripe pale yellow, sometimes white posteriorly; 

 back and scapulars light brownish gray or grayish brown, streaked 

 with black, the rump similar but paler and grayer and without streaks; 

 upper tail-coverts brownish gray with dusky shaft-streaks; lesser and 

 middle wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous; greater coverts and tertials 

 dusky centrally, broadly edged with pale wood-brownish, the former 

 sometimes tinged with cinnamon-rufous; secondaries, primaries, and 



