366 SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSERES — OSCINES. 
extent 8.00-8.50; wing 2.25-2.50 ; tail 2.00 or less, shorter than wing, outstretched feet 
reaching beyond it ; rounded or rather double-rounded at end, the feathers narrow and lance- 
olate. Bill very stout and full. In autumn, fresh-moulted birds are as usual richer in color, 
the markings more blended and diflfuse, the fore parts below and the sides rich buffy brown, in 
which vague hghter and darker markings usually appear. Young: before the moult, are 
whitish below, with decided dusky maxillary and pectoral streaks, thus resembling C. hensloivi. 
Eastern U. S. and Canada, but not far north ; breeds throughout its range ; resident in the 
Southern States, elsewhere a migrant and summer visitant. Abundant in the rank herbage of 
old fields, but less frequently observed than it M^ould be did it not hide so persistently in the 
herbage ; has a peculiar chirring note, like a grasshopper's ; nests on the ground ; eggs 4-5, 
crystal white, flecked with reddish-brown, 0.72 x 0.64. 
235. C. p. perpal'lidus. (Lat. perpallidus, very pale.) Bleached Yellow-winged Sparrow. 
Specimens from dry western regions are paler and grayer; less black and more slaty-gray 
on the upper parts, the ochrey crown stripe and edgings of the dorsal feathers, as well as the 
under parts generally, paler. 
336. C. ben'slowi. (To Prof. J. S. Henslow, of England.) Henslow's Grasshopper Sparrow. 
Somewhat resembling a young C. passerinus. Under parts whitish, tinged strongly along the 
whole sides, across the breast, and on the flanks and crissum with buff", all these buff parts 
sharply and distinctly streaked with blackish in fine pattern ; the pectoral streaks connecting 
along the sides of neck with decided black maxillary stripes. The brownish-yellow shade is 
very variable in extent and intensity, but it usually leaves only the throat and belly decidedly 
whitish. Ground-color of head and hind neck a peculiar pale olive-gray, with a decided 
greenish-yellow tinge ; top of head with broad lateral blackish stripes, continued on the cervix 
in much smaller pattern, divided by a greenish-brownish-yellow median stripe. The peculiar 
color of the hind neck extending far around on sides of neck, and sides of head of much the 
same tint; a blackish post-ocular stripe bounding the auriculars above; below and anterior to 
them a black maxillary stripe starting from the angle of the mouth ; below this usually other 
maxihary streaks ; dark specks often behind auriculars. Dorsal and scapular feathers with 
broad black central field, then broadly chestnut, then mostly narrowly edged with whitish, 
these markings in bold pattern, and contrasting with the peculiar greenish -gray cervical region 
with its fine black streaks. Edge of wing yellow. Greater wing-coverts and most of the 
secondaries colored to correspond with the back, the closed wing showing chiefly chestnut with 
the black field of the three innermost secondaries. Tail-feathers extremely narrow and acute, 
brown, the inner at least with long blackish shaft stripe, and reddish-brown on inner webs. 
Bill brownish, usually quite dusky above, pale below; feet pale. Length scarcely 5.00; 
extent 7.50; wing and tail, each, 2.00-2.10; bill from extreme base of culmen 0.45 ; 0.30 deep 
at base ; tarsus or.*4niddle toe and claw 0.65. Eastern U. S., strictly, N. to New England, 
not very commonly ; W. to Nebraska. Not abundant on the w^hole, nor easily observed. 
Common about Washington, where it breeds, in fields and meadows ; nest on the ground, in 
tufts of grass. Eggs 4-5, greenish-white, jDrofusely speckled with reddish, 0.75 X 0.57. 
237. C. lecon'tii. (To Maj. J. Le Conte, of Philadelphia.) Le Conte's Grasshopper Sparrow. 
Le Conte's Bunting. ^ 9 , adult : Bill smaller and slenderer than in either of the foregoing, 
dark horn-blue above, paler bluish below; iris black. Tail long, decidedly exceeding the 
wings when full grown, and remarkably graduated ; lateral feathers i-i inch shorter than the 
central pair ; all extremely narrow, tapering, and acuminate, even more so than in the sharp- 
tailed finch (Ammodramus caudacutus) ; outstretched feet not reaching to its end. Wings 
short and much rounded; primaries in closed wing hardly i inch longer than secondaries. 
Length 4.90-5.10; extent 6.90-7.10; wing 1.90-2.00; tail 2.00-2.25 or a little more; bill 
0.40 ; tarsus 0.67- No trace of yellow on bend of wing, nor any yellow loral spot. No black 
maxillary or pectoral streaks ; markings of under parts confined to sparse, sharp, blackish 
