360 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 
pure white ; lining of Avings white. All the tail-feathers, except the middle pair, and bases 
and tips of intermediate ones, white, ending squarely across both webs. Bill blackish-plum- 
beous, pale at base below; feet brownish-black. Length about 6.00; extent 11.00-11.50; 
wing 3.30-3.60 ; tail 2.25 ; bill 0.50 ; tarsus 0.67 ; middle toe and claw rather less. 9 , in 
breeding plumage : Upper parts, wings, and tail as in the ^ — coverts with at least a trace of 
chestnut, and tail displaying the rectangular shape of the white area ; crown like back in- 
stead of black ; no black maxillary stripes, and breast-crescent slaty-gray ; throat whitish ; bill 
and feet yellowish-brown, more or less obscured. The seasonal changes of plumage, as well as 
the sexual differences, are parallel with those of P. ornatus; there is the same veiling of black 
parts by gray, etc. Though so different from ornatus in full dress, the bird is very similar in 
other conditions, age for age, and sex for sex : but larger; no trace of chestnut on nape ; trace 
at least on wing-coverts ; and peculiar pattern of tail-feathers shown as soon as they sprout 
and never lost. Very young birds have curved edgings of the feathers of the upper parts ; 
the under parts quite purely white, with some dusky streaks, and a buff suffusion on the breast. 
Region of the upper Missouri and its tributaries ; N. to the Saskatchewan ; not known W. of 
the Rocky Mts. ; S. to Texas and Mexico; E. to Kansas and probably Iowa and Missouri. 
Breeds in profusion on the prairies from Colorado northward, in parts of Dakota and in 
Montana associated with P. ornatus; winters from Colorado southward. Its habits and man- 
ners are the same as those of P. ornatus. It has the same soaring singing flight, and para- 
chute-like descent, " sliding down on the scale of its own music ; " nesting the same; eggs re- 
sembling the paler varieties of P. ornatus; 0.80 X 0.60. 
75. PASSER'CULUS. (Lat. passerculus, a little sparrow ; diminutive of passer ^ a sparrow.) 
Savanna Sparrows. GIround Sparrows. Bill rather slenderly conical, culmen, commissure 
and gonys about straight (bill more turgid in P. rostratus and guttatus). Wings longer than 
tail, point formed by outer 4 primaries, of nearly equal lengths ; inner secondaries enlarged and 
flowing, reaching nearly or quite to end of primaries in the closed wing. Tail short, nearly even 
or little emarginate, of narrow pointed feathers. Feet slender, pale-colored, usually reaching 
when outstretched nearly or quite to end of tail; tiirsns and middle toe with claw of about equal 
lengths ; lateral toes of equal lengths, their claws underreaching base of middle claw ; hind toe 
rather longer than its claw, which has no special development. Plumage thickly streaked 
everywhere above, and below on breast and sides ; crown with median light line and lateral 
dark ones ; no decided markings on tail-feathers. In most species edge of wing yellow, and 
traces at least of yellow on head ; no red, blue, or greenish. Sexes alike. Embracing small 
plain streaked ground sparrows of slender build, mostly with a touch of lemon-yellow on edge 
of wing, long inner secondaries and pale slender legs ; one species abounding in the East, others 
of more special distribution. 
Analysis of Species and Varieties. 
Bill tj'pical. Crown with median light stripe. Inner secondaries seldom quite equalling primaries. No 
decided lemon-yellow on edge of wing. Top of head with two black stripes, and suffused with rich 
brownish-yellow hairdi 224 
Bill typical. Crown with median light stripe. Inner secondaries at full length. Edge of wing with 
lemon-yellow ; same shade on head, if any. Upper parts much variegated ; under white, with sharp 
streaking. 
Large, pale; little or no yellowish ; length 6.00 or more ; wing 3.25. Coast of New England princeps 225 
Large, dark, with decided yellow; length about 6.00; wing 3.00. Northwest coast . . sandvicensis 226 
Medium, of average coloration; length about 5.50; wing 2.75. N. Am. at large savana 227 
Medium; pale; size of sarajirt proper. Interior and western alaudimis 229 
Small, dark; yellow very decided. Length about 5.25; wing 2.50. West coast anthinus 228 
Bill enlarged, turgid, witli convex culmen. Crown-stripe obsolete. No yellow on head or wing. 
Larger: bill 0.50. Length 5.30; wing near 3.00. Pale brownish-gray, with obsolete streaking; the 
streaks below light brown. Coast of California rostratus 230 
Smaller : bill 0.33. Length 5.00; wing 2.50. Darker, the streaks below dusky. L. Cala. . guttatus 231 
334. P. baird'i. (To Prof. S. F. Baird. Fig. 226.) Baird's Savanna Sparrow. ^ 9 , adult, in 
Ireeding plumage: With a general resemblance to P. savana. Inner secondaries less elon- 
