386 FRINGILLID^. 



is a black line on either side of the upper part of the throat, and other slighter 

 differences. 



As Mr. Eidgway justly remarks ^, C. petenicus and its allies are abnormal members 

 of either Coturniculus or Ammodromus, but we hesitate, as he did, to make a separate 

 genus for them. 



MELOSPIZA. 



Melospiza, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 476 (1858) ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 16 ; 

 Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 369. 



This genus, with Peuccea, forms section C of the " Spizellinse " of Messrs. Baird, 

 Brewer, and Eidgway's arrangement, and is distinguished by the . following common 

 characters : — The tail is lengthened and graduated {i. e. rounded and not forked), longer 

 than the wings, which are very short, hardly extending when closed beyond the base of 

 the tail. All the species are streaked above, and the tail is without white on the 

 lateral feathers. 



From Peuccea, Melospiza may be distinguished by the species being streaked beneath 

 on the chest and flanks, the tail-feathers rather broad, and the culmen and tomia nearly 

 straight ; the claws stout, that of the hind toe being as long as its digit. 



The differentiation of the species of Melospiza offers a very complex problem so far 

 as regards M. fasciata and its races, a problem which not even the resources of the 

 National Museum at Washington have solved to the satisfaction of all who have con- 

 sulted its treasures, for those who have done so do not arrive in all cases at the same 

 conclusion as to which forms should be considered species and which varieties. The 

 accumulation of materials seems to render the lines of definition between the various 

 races of this species more and more obscure, so that we may fairly expect them to 

 become entirely obliterated as means of observation grow ; or, on the other hand, that 

 certain of these lines may prove to be still definite though faint. 



So far as concerns one of the members of Melospiza found in Mexico, M. heermanni, 

 we rather incline to the belief that it will ultimately be found separable from M. fasciata; 

 but of M. montana we are not in a position to offer any opinion. M. lincolni is an 

 isolated species offering no difficulty. 



It is probable that all three forms included below are winter visitors to Mexico or 

 Guatemala, but on this point our information leaves much to be desired. 



1. Melospiza lincolni. 



Fringilla lincolni, Aud. Orn. Biogr. ii. p. 539, t. 193 '. 

 Peuccea lincolni, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 481 ". 



Passerculus lincolni, Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 303' j 1859, p. 365 *; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 18'. 

 Melospiza lincolni, Baird, Mex. Bound. Surv. ii. Birds, p. 16 ° ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 379 ' ; Dresser, 

 Ibis, 1865, p. 489" ;, Sumiclirast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 552 ' ; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. 



