380 TEINGILLIDiE. 



5. Spizella atrigularis. 



Spinites atrigularis, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 133'. 



Spizella atrigularis, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii., Birds, p. 16, t. 17. f. 1 "; Duges, La Nat. 



i. p. 140'; Baird, Brew., & Uidgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 15'; Lawr. Bull. U. S, Nat. Mus. 



no. 4, p. Sr ; Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 381'. 



Cinerea, dorso medio rufo nigro striate, alis et Cauda nigricaBtibus, illis rufo limbatis ; subtus dilutior, ventre 

 imo albicante, gula nigra ; rostro rubido, pedibus obscure corylinis. Long, tota 5-4, alae 2-7, caudse 3*0, 

 rostri a rictu 0-4, tarsi 0-75. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico. Mus. nosfcr.) 

 5 aut av. juv. gula et abdomine concoloribus. 



Hab. North America, Lower California, Arizona * ^. — Mexico \ Agua Nueva in Coahuila 

 [CoucJi^), Guanajuato (Duges^), Chapulco {Sumichrast ^). 



Though this well-marked species has a wide range in Mexico, it seems to be nowhere 

 common, and specimens, though not unfrequently to be found in Mexican collections, 

 are never numerous. Concerning its habits in Mexico not a word has been recorded. 

 In Arizona Dr. Coues met with it sparingly near Fort Whipple from April to October. 

 In the spring the male utters a pleasing song, and towards autumn birds collect into 

 small flocks and frequent weedy places, associating with the western Spizella socialis 

 and Goldfinches {Chrysomitris). The nest and eggs of this species remain to be dis- 

 covered. 



PASSERCULUS. 



Passerculus, Bonaparte, Comp. List Birds, p. 33 (1838) ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. 

 p. 532; Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 360. 



This genus consists of about six species all inhabitants of the continent of North 

 America, two of them entering our country, P. sandwichensis as far south as Guatemala 

 and P. rostratus only along the eastern shore of the Gulf of California. The definition 

 of Passerculus is not very pronounced, but the shortness of the tail as compared to the 

 length of the wing renders it recognizable from Peucasa and other allied genera. The 

 plumage is more or less spotted above and below, and the chest and flanks are distinctly 

 maculate. The bill is usually rather slender though more turgid in P. rostratus ; the 

 culmen, tomia, and gonys nearly straight ; the nostrils are exposed, an overhanging 

 membrane covering the upper half of the nasal fossa ; the rictal bristles are strong, 

 reaching half the length of the bill. The four outer quills of the wing are nearly 

 equal and the secondaries are of nearly the same length ; the tail is very slightly forked 

 and the feathers rather narrow ; the middle toe is shorter than the tarsus, but the toes 

 and claws are rather stout. 



1. Passerculus sandwichensis. 



Emberiza sandwichensis, G-m. Syst. Nat. i. p. 875 \ 



Passerculus savanna, var. sandwichensis, Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 538 \ 



Fringilla savanna, Wils. Am. Orn. iii. p. 55, t. 22. f. 3 '. 



