BIRDS FRINGILLIDAE — POOSPIZ A. 
469 
The wing is rounded ; the second quill longest, the third, fourth, and fifth, successively, a 
little shorter ; the first longer than the sixth. Tail slightly rounded, and a little emarginate. 
In the full spring dress there is no trace of any second color on the hack, except an exceedingly 
faint and scarcely appreciable wash of dull brownish over the whole upper parts. The markings 
of the third tail feather vary somewhat in specimens. Sometimes the whole tip is margined 
with brown ; sometimes the white extends to the end ; sometimes both webs are margined with 
brown ; sometimes the outer is white entirely ; sometimes the brownish wash on the back is 
more distinct. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col- 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
6.25 
Stretch 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1287 
276 
10138 
6248 
4816? 
5706 
5707 
s 
3 
3 
3 
Mar. 9,1844 
3.08 
Oct. 21, 1854 
May 6, 1850 
Oct. 20, 1856 
do 
Lieut. Couch 
Lieut. G. K. Warren 
Lieut. F.T. Bryan.. 
3 
Vermilion river, Neb... 
Repub. Forks, K. T.... 
do 
Dr. Hayden... 
5.50 
9.50 
3.25 
3 
9 
387 
Sept. 14, 1857 
Lieut. Warren. ... 
5373 
POnSPIZA, Cab an is. 
Poospiza, Cabanis, Wiegmann's Archiv, 1847, I, 349. (Type Emberiza nigro-rufa, Orb., or Pipilo personala, Sw.) 
Ch. — Bill slender, conical, both outlines gently curved. Under jaw with the edges considerably inflected ; not so high as the 
upper. Tarsi elongated, slender ; considerably longer than the middle toe. Toes short, weak ; the outer decidedly longer than 
the inner, but not reaching to the base of the middle claw. Hind toe about equal to the middle without its claw. All the claws 
compressed and moderately curved. Wings rather long, reaching about over the basal fourth of the exposed portion of the 
rather long tail. Tertiaries and secondaries about equal, and not much shorter than the lengthened primaries ; the second to 
fifth about equal and longest ; the first considerably shorter, and longer than the seventh. Tail lono;, slightly emarginate, 
graduated ; the outer feather abruptly shorter than the others. Feathers broad, linear, and rather obliquely truncate at the 
ends, witli the corners rounded. 
Color.— Uniform above, without streaks. Beneath white, with or without a black throat. Black and white stripes on the 
head. 
In the selection of Cabanis's genus Poospiza, for the present group, I follow Mr. Sclater. 
One of the species has the throat white, the other black. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
| Catal. No. J 
Species. 
Locality. 
12 
Wing. 
Eh 
ind loe 
and claw. 
Hind claw 
alone. 
Bill above. 
Along gape. 
Specimen 
measured. 
Poospiza belli 
Cosumnes river, Cal 
3 
5.74 
2.77 
3.05 
0.82 
0.75 
0.22 
0.53 
0.57 
0.28 
0.30 
0.41 
0.40 
(). 11 
0.45 
Skin 
do. 
Camp 6, Little Colorado.. 
6.20 
5.30 
3.13 
3.25 
0.84 
0 74 
0.20 
Skin 
6324 
Poospiza bilineata.... 
3 
6318 
Q 
5.20 
5.12 
2.67 
2.55 
2.75 
2.33 
2.83 
2.50 
0.70 
0.74 
0.C5 
0.17 
0.16 
0.50 
0.47 
O.ili 
0.20 
0.43 
0.40 
0.50 
0.48 
Skin 
Skin 
do. 
8.00 
6320 
do Ringgold Barracks 
4.30 
2.30 
0.68 
0.62 
0.16 
0.43 
0.21 
0.40 
Skin 
