26 



heightened, these coverts become black, with the outer row tipped 

 with white. One of the females also shows the rufous color strongly 

 on the lower parts, which are almost as black as in some of the paler 

 males. Another female is quite black below, but shows no red. Both 

 have the nuchal collar strongly marked. 



36. Plectrophanes Maceowni Bd. McCown's Bunting. 



Seen in considerable abundance from the Missouri to the Yellow- 

 atone, but hardly so numerous nor so uniformly distributed as the 

 P. ornatvs. Sometimes very few were seen for twenty or thirty 

 miles, and again they outnumbered any other species over a consider- 

 able area. Both this and P. ornatus seem to locate more or less in 

 colonies, being here and there very numerous, and then almost en- 

 tirely absent for miles. 



In ascending the Yellowstone, about August 1st, this species, as 

 well as P. ornatus, was very rarely seen; but a month later, on our 

 way back, we began to meet with them in small flocks, which in- 

 creased in size and number as the season advanced. A few small 

 parties were seen on the Musselshell, and in crossing the divide 

 between the Musselshell and the Yellowstone; but on again reaching 

 the valley of the Yellowstone at the mouth of the Little Porcupine, 

 we found them in flocks of hundreds, and even in some cases of thou- 

 sands, of individuals. At the Yellowstone Crossing (Camp Thorne), 

 where hardly one was seen in July, in September the prairies were 

 alive with the immense flocks that had assembled from more or less 

 distant points. Mixed with them were many Eremophila alpestris 

 and a few P. ornatus, and occasionally a little party of Anthus ludo- 

 vicianus. They were also frequent thence eastward to the Missouri 

 River. 



Three nests of this species were found, two of which contained five 

 eggs each, and the other three. The nests were of course placed on 

 the ground, and were formed of dry grass. The eggs are olive, or 

 dull yellowish white, sparingly marked with small streaks and 

 blotches of brown. The ground color varies from a dull soiled bluish 

 white to cream color. Average size .80 by .60 of an inch. These are 

 apparently the first really authentic eggs of this species known. 



The plumage of this species is quite variable, even in the breeding 

 season, the black of the breast in the males being sometimes pure and 

 intense, and sometimes nearly concealed by the ashy edgings of the 

 feathers, and the general colors vary in intensity in a corresponding 



