BIRDS — FRINGILLLDAE SPIZELLA. 
471 
quite abruptly shorter ; the feathers are unusually broad to near the end. The wings are short 
and considerably rounded ; the second, third, fourth, and fifth nearly equal ; the first rather 
shorter than the sixth. The bill is rather small. 
List of specimens. 
6237 
6338 
6335 
6336 
Posa creek, Cal . . 
Cosumnes river... 
Fort Thorn, N. M. 
Colorado river 
When collected. 
Dec. 15,1853 
Whence obtained. 
Lt. Williamson-. 
do.. 
Dr. T. C. Henry. 
Lt. Whipple 
Collected by- 
Dr. Heermann 
do 
Kennerly and Mollhausen. 
SPIZELLA, Bonaparte. 
Spizella, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List, 1838. Type Fringilla canadensis, Lath. 
Spinites, Cabanis, Mus Hein. 1851, 133. Type Fringilla socialis, Wils. 
Ch. — Bill conical, the outlines slightly curved ; the lower mandible decidedly lower than the upper ; the commissure 
gently sinuated ; the roof of the mouth not knobbed. Feet slender ; tarsus rather longer than the middle toe ; the hinder toe 
a little longer than the outer lateral, which slightly exceeds the inner ; the outer claw reaching the base of the middle one, and 
half as long as its toe. Claws moderately curved. Tertiaries and secondaries nearly equal ; wing somewhatpointed, reaching 
not quite to the middle of the tail. First quill a little shorter than the second and equal to the fifth ; third longest. Tail rather 
long, moderately forked, and divaricated at the tip ; the feathers rather narrow. Back streaked ; rump and beneath immaculate. 
Hood generally uniform. 
This genus differs from Zonotrichia in the smaller size and longer and forked, instead of 
rounded tail. 
Synopsis of the species. 
Interscapular region with the feathers streaked centrally with black. Bump and back of 
the neck without streaks. No spots or streaks beneath. 
A. Head above and back chestnut. Two white bands on the wings. A light super- 
ciliary stripe. 
A chestnut streak behind the eye, and a dull rufous spot in the middle of the breast. 
Bump yellowish brown. Tail feathers edged with white. Bill black above ; 
under mandible chiefly yellow S, monticola. 
Smaller ; a chestnut streak behind the eye. No spot on the breast. Bump 
yellowish brown. Tail feathers edged with ash. Bill red S.pusilla. 
Forehead and a line from the bill through and behind the eye black. Superciliary 
streak white. Bump bright ash. Bill black S. socialis. 
B. Head above streaked with black and gray, a light superciliary stripe. Beneath 
dirty white. 
Head above with a broad median light stripe and a conspicuous superciliary 
one S. pallida. 
Head above without median stripe 8. hreiveri. 
C. Body generally plumbeous, except the wings and interscapular region ; becoming paler 
on the middle ofthe belly. Forehead, lores, chin, and throat, black. Bill red. 
8. atrigularis. 
