388 FEINGILLTD^. 



bearing this name from Wyoming. Mr. Henshaw compares his bird with M. fallax, 

 itself a race of M. fasciata, according to the recent views of American authors ; from 

 this it differs in being umber-brown instead of bright reddish brown, giving a greyish 

 aspect to the plumage, the back is streaked with blackish brown instead of a dark 

 shade of red-brown, the streaks below are of the same colour as those of the back, those 

 of M. fallax being reddish and not black. 



The true M. fallax is found near Tucson in Arizona, where also M. montana occurs, 

 but a point connected with their presence there seems well worthy of note. Mr. Nelson 

 says that on March 18 th Jf. fallax was in full song and preparing to breed, whereas 

 M. montana had left without singing for more northern regions ^. 



In the case of this bird we do not feel in a position to decide whether it is mpst 

 likely to prove inseparable from M. fasciata owing to complete intergradation, in which 

 case we should include it under that name, or whether it is definitely separable even by 

 very slight characters, for then we should call it M. montana. 



3. Melospiza heermanni. 



Melospisa heermanni, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 478, t. 70. f. 1 \ 



Melospiza melodia var. heermanni, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 24^. 



Melospiza fasciata heermanni, Coues, Key N. Am. B. ei 2, p. 373 ^ 



Melospiza gouldi, Scl. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 369 ' (nee Baird). 



Melospiza fallax, Scl. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 174 '. 



Melospiza pectoralis, v. Miill. Syst. Verz. Wirb. Mex. p. 49*? 



Melospiza melodia var. mexic<ma, Bidgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 18 '' ? 



Supra fusco-brunnea, dorso medio Bigro late striate, eapite summo quoque striate rufo intermixto, fascia verti- 

 cali indistincte cinerea ; alis et cauda fusco-nigris, rufo limbatis, superciliis griseo-albidis, ad naribus pure 

 albia, loris et stria postoculari nigris, regione parotioa fusco induta ; subtus alba, stria utrinque lata rictali 

 ad pectus conjunctis nigris, pectore dense, hypoehondriis sparse, nigro maculatis, his cum crisso cervino 

 lavatis ; rostro nigrioante corneo, mandibula ad basin pallida, pedibus palHde coryHnis. Long, tofca 6'2, 

 alse 2-8, caudae 2-8, rostri a rictu 0-55, tarsi 0-85. (Descr. maris ex Puebla, Mexico (January). Mus. 

 nostr.) 



Hal. NoETH America, California i, Nevada^. — Mexico ^ valley of Mexico (White ^), 

 Puebla'' [Boucard). 



We have Mexican specimens of this Melospiza, agreeing accurately with others from 

 California, purporting to be the true M. heermanni of Baird, and with the same bird 

 we associate the Mexican specimens called M. gouldi and M. fallax by Mr. Sclater. 

 Eegarding M. pectoralis of Miiller we are in some doubt, as the description does not 

 quite agree ; but M. melodia mexicana of Kidgway ^ we place here with more confidence, 

 as the description suits a specimen from Southern Mexico in our collection very accu- 

 rately. Making some allowance for seasonal and abraded plumage, we cannot see 

 our way to admitting more than one Melospiza of this form in Southern Mexico, viz. 

 M. heermanni. 



