BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 233 



would, on account of its wing-formula, have to be referred to Almo- 

 ph-i'ki, in a section hj itself. 



However distinct these groups may appear at first sight, they seem, 

 nevertheless, to be connected; thus, ^1. notostida, while a member of 

 group a as to coloration agrees best in form with members of group 

 h, particularly in its verj' long tail. The two species composing 

 group c, while resembling one another so closel}^ in coloration as to 

 leave no doubt as to their close relationship, differ verj' much in form, 

 A. sumichmsti having the short, stout tarsus of group I, while A. 

 carpaliH is unique in the shortness and relative depth of its bill. A. 

 quinquefftriafa is very much like A. ruficeps of group a in general 

 form, but has relatively longer primaries than any other member of 

 the genus, except those of the PeuccBa group, though the wing- 

 formula does not agree with that of the latter. 



Four South American (Peruvian) sparrows have been referred to 

 Aimophila, but ai'e undoubtedlj^ distinct geneiiically. as I ha\e been 

 able to determine bj' examination of three of them {Hcmnoj>hila nfolz- 

 manni Taczanowski, U. personata Salvin, and II. lata Salvin. These, 

 together with H. fuJclwa Sclater, belong to two genera peculiar to 

 the highlands of Peru, related to Aimophila and Junco, but distinct 

 from either.^ 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF AIMOPHILA. 



u. Anterior under parts pure white, with or without black or gray across chest, or 

 else deep gray with black on sides of throat; pileum conspicuously five-striped, 

 (two lateral black or brown crown-stripes and a white or gray median crown- 

 stripe and superciliary stripe), or else plain blackish or grayish, with or 

 without black streaks. 

 h. Pileum plain dusky or grayish, with or without narrow black streaks. 

 c. Tail shorter, or at least not longer, than wing; back purplish grayish brown 

 or chocolate, entirely without streaks; lesser wing-coverts, sides, and flanks, 



plain gray. (Northwestern Mexico. ) Aimophila qninqueatriata (p. 236) 



cc. Tail much longer than wing; back buffy brown, or cinnamon-rufous, streaked 

 with black; lesser wing-coverts not gray; flanks buffy or cinnamon. 

 d. Upper throat black; lower throat and chest gray; rump cinnamon-rufous; 

 lesser wing-coverts blackish. (Southern portion of Mexican plateau. ) 



Aimophila mystacalis (p. 236) 



dd. Whole throat white; a broad band of black or dark slaty across chest; rump 



grayish brown; lesser wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous. (Southern portion 



of Mexican plateau. ) Aimophila humeralia (p. 237) 



66. Pileum conspicuously five-striped (two black or dark brown lateral crown- 

 stripes and a median crown-stripe and superciliary stripe of white or gray), 

 c. Chest conspicuously spotted or clouded with gray. 

 d. Smaller (wing of adult male 71.63, tail 79.25-83.31); back slightly browner 

 and tail slightly more rufescent. (Guatemala to Costa Eica.) 



Aimophila rufioauda rnficauda (p. 238) 



' Incaspiza Ridgway (type, Hxmophila pulchra Sclater) and Rhynchospiza Eidgway 

 (type, Hsemophila stolzmanni Taczanowski). See The Auk, xv, July, 1898, 224. To 

 the former belong also H. personata Salvin, and H. Iseta Salvin. 



