50 



WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING 



The White-crowned Bunting is seven inches long, and ten 

 inches in extent; the bill a cinnamon brown; crown from the front 

 to the hind head pm^e white, bounded on each side by a stripe of 

 black proceeding from each nostril ; and these again are bordered by 

 a stripe of pure white passing over each eye to the hind head, where 

 they meet; below this another narrow stripe of black passes from 

 the posterior angle of the eye, widening as it descends to the hind 

 head ; chin white ; breast, sides of the neck, and upper parts of the 

 same, very pale ash; back streaked laterally with dark rusty brown 

 and pale bluish white; wings dusky, edged broadly with brown; 

 the greater and lesser coverts tipt broadly with white, forming two 

 handsome bands across the wing; tertials black, edged with brown 

 and white; rump and tail coverts drab, tipt with a lighter tint; tail 

 long, rounded, dusky, and edged broadly with drab; belly white; 

 vent pale yellow ochre; legs and feet reddish brown; eye reddish 

 hazel, lower eye lid white. 



The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by the 

 white on the head being less pure, the black also less in extent, and 

 the ash on the breast darker; she is also smaller in size. 



There is a considerable resemblance between this species and 

 the White-throated Sparrow already described in this work. Yet 

 they rarely associate together; the latter remaining in the lower 

 parts of Pennsylvania in great numbers, until the beginning of May, 

 when they retire to the north and to the high inland regions to 

 breed; the former inhabiting much more northern countries; and 

 tho said to be common in Canada, rarely visiting this part of the 

 United States. 



