176 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ing short of base of middle claw; hind claw much shorter than its 

 digit. 



Colors. — Adult with ear-covei'ts and broad stripe on each side of 

 crown chestnut, separated by broad whitish superciliary and median 

 vertical stripes; back brownish streaked with black; broad tips to 

 rectrices (except middle pair), "speculum" at base of primaries, and 

 most of under parts white. 



Range. — Sparsely wooded districts of more western United States 

 and Mexico. (Monotypic.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OP CHONDESTES. 



o. Parker and more broadly streaked above; chestnut head -markings darker. (Semi- 

 wooded districts of Mississippi Valley. ) 



Choudestes grammacas grammacus (p. 176) 



aa. Paler and more narrowly streaked above ; , chestnut head -markings lighter. ( East- 

 ern edge of Great Plains to the Pacific, and south over plateau to southern 

 Mexico.) Choudestes grammacus strigatus (p. 178) 



CHONDESTES GRAMMACUS GRAMMACUS (Say). 

 LARK SPARROW. 



Above brownish gray or grayish brown, the back streaked with 

 blackish; tail (except middle rectrices) broadly tipped with white; 

 under parts mostly white. 



Arhdts {sexes altle). — Pileum and auricular region chestnut, the 

 former with a median stripe of pale brownish gray or grayish buff 

 (whitish anteriorly), the broader chestnut stripes blackish anteriorly; 

 a black streak across lores; a black rictal streak confluent with the 

 chestnut auricular patch; a black submalar streak; a broad superciliary 

 stripe of white, becoming more or less buffy posteriorly ; a large cres- 

 centic suborbital spot, a small post-auricular spot, and a malar stripe, 

 white; under parts white, becoming buffy grayish brown on sides and 

 flanks, the chest more or less tinged with the same and marked in cen- 

 ter with a blackish spot; back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and 

 upper tail-coverts brownish gray or grayish brown (hair brown), the 

 back and scapulars broadly streaked with black; wings (except lesser 

 coverts) dusky with light grayish brown edgings, the middle coverts 

 tipped with white, or dull buffy white (producing a rather distinct 

 band), and the eighth to fifth or fourth primaries with white at the base 

 (producing a more or less conspicuous patch) ; middle pair of rectrices 

 dusky grayish brown, the remaining rectrices black, abruptly tipped 

 with white, this white tip occupying nearly if not quite the exposed 

 terminal half on outermost rectrix; maxilla deep brownish becoming 

 blackish at tip; mandible paler (more or less bluish or lilaceous in life); 

 iris brown; legs and feet pale brownish (the toes rather darker). 



