BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 361 



MELOSPIZA CINEREA MERRILLX (Brewster). 

 MERRILL'S SONG SPARROW. 



Very similar to M. c. montana but slightly darker and more uni- 

 form above, with the grayish edgings to the interscapulars and scapu- 

 lars less strongly contrasted with the darker mesial streaks, the latter 

 usually with more bi-own than black. 



ifafe.— Length (skins), 143.51-162.56 (151.38); wing, 65.03-69.85 

 (68.07); tail, 63.75-71.88 (68.07); exposed culmen, 11.43-12.95 (12.19); 

 depth of bill at base, 6.86-7.62 (7.11); tarsus, 22.35-23.62 (22.61); 

 middle toe, 15.24-17.53 (16.51).^ 



i^emaZe.— Length (skins), 139.19-157.73 (147.57); wing, 63.50-68.07 

 (65.53); tail, 60.96-70.10(65.02); exposed culmen, 11.18-12.70 (11.94); 

 depth of bill at base, 6.60-7.62 (6.86); tarsus, 21.59-22.86 (22.10); 

 middle toe, 15.49-17.02 (16.00).' 



Breeding from northern California (Shasta County, etc. , in moun- 

 tains) and through Oregon and Washington east of Cascade Mountains 

 to northwestern Idaho (Fort Sherman); in winter southward into 

 Nevada (West Humboldt Mountains), Utah (Santa Clara), Arizona 

 (Apache), and northern Sonora (Bavispe River, Dec). 



[The above name covers a series of "intergrades" between J/i c. 

 montana and M.c. morphna, and I have hesitated to recognize the sup- 

 posed form as a subspecies. The series in question certainly does not, 

 collectively, constitute a subspecies or geographic race in the same 

 sense as do the other forms here recognized. Besides being compara- 

 tively slight, the characters of the supposed race are unstable, a series 

 of breeding birds from Fort Klamath, eastern Oregon, and another 

 from Baird, Shasta County, California, containing specimens that are 

 absolutely typical of M. c. merrilli and others which are practically 

 pure M. c. montana.] 



[Melospiza fasciata} S. guttata (not Fringilla guttata Nuttall) Ridgway, Orn. 40th 

 Parallel, 1877, 482 (excl. syn.), 484 (West Humboldt Mts., 1 spec. Oct. 3). 



Melospiza fasciata guttata Bkewstbe, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vii, 1882, 229 ( \Valla 

 Walla, Washington; crit.).— Fisher, N. Am. Fauna, no. 7, 1893, 100 (Santa 

 Clara, Utah, 1 spec. Jan. 13). 



[Melospiza melodia} var. guttata Ridgway, Bull. Essex Inst., vii, Jan., 1875, 37 

 (West Humboldt Mts., Nevada, Oct.) . 



Melospiza melodia var. rufina (not Emberiza rvfina Brandt) Bendike, Proc. Bost. 

 Soc. N. H., 1877, 119 (Camp Harney, e. Oregon, 2 specs. Dec.) . 



Melospiza fasciata merrilli Brewsteh, Auk, xiii, Jan., 1896, 46 (Fort Sherman, 

 n. w. Idaho; coll. W. Brewster) . — American Ornithologists' Union Com- 

 mittee, Auk, xiv, 1897, 122 (Check List, no. 581^).— Merrill, Auk, xv, 1898, 

 16 (Fort Sherman, Idaho; habits, etc.). 



^Eleven specimens. '"'Six specimens. 



