FRINGILLIDiE 
THE FINCHES. 59 
Genus MELOSPIZA, Baird. (Page 52.) ™ j 
Crown and back similar in color and streaked ; beneath' thickly streaked. Tail im- j'J 
maculate. Nest on ground ; exceptionally on bushes. Eggs greenish-white ; thickly | 
marbled and blotched with rusty brown, etc. | 
A. 
: 
t 
I- 
Lower parts streaked. 
1. M. melodia. White of the lower parts uninterrupted from the chin to 
the crissum ; the streaks of the jugulum, etc., broad and cuneate. 
a. Streaks, above and below, sharply defined, and distinctly black 
medially (except sometimes in winter plumage). 
Ground-color above reddish-gray, the interscapulars with the 
whitish and black streaks about equal, and sharply contrasted. 
Rump with reddish streaks. Nest usually on ground ; more rarely 
in bushes ; of grass-stems and twigs, lined with fine grass. Eggs 
dirty white ; spotted equally and generally closely with brownish ; 
very rarely unspotted. Length, 6.50; wing, 2.70; tail, 2.90 ; bill, 
.36 from nostril and .30 deep. Hab. Eastern Province of United 
States, to the Plains on the west and the Rio Grande on the south. 
{Song Sparrow.') var. melodia. 
Ground-color above ashy-gray, the interscapulars with the black 
streaks much broader than their rufous border, and the whitish 
edges not in strong contrast. Rump without streaks. Nest usually 
in "bushes; with the eggs much as in melodia. Length, 6.75; 
wing, 2.80 ; tail, 3.15 ; bill, .33 and .22. Hab. Middle Province 
of United States. (Western Song Sparrow.) . . . var . fall ax. 
Ground-color above nearly pure gray, the interscapulars with the 
black streaks much broader than the rufous, and the edges of the 
feathers not appreciably paler. Rump without streaks. Nest and 
eggs as in melodia. Length, 6.50 ; wing, 2.80 ; tail, 2.85 ; bill, .32 
by .27. Hab. California, except along the coast; Sierra Nevada. 
(Heermann's Sparrow.) ...... var. heermanni. 
Ground-color above grayish-olive, the interscapulars with the 
black streaks much broader than their rufous border ; edges of the 
feathers scarcely appreciably paler. Rump and tail-coverts, above 
and below, with distinct broad streaks of black. Nest and eggs as 
in melodia. Length, 5.00; wing, 2.40; tail, 2.50; bill, .37 and .24. 
Hab. Coast region of California. (SamueVs Sparrow.) var. samuelis. 
b. Streaks, above and below, not sharply defined, and without black 
medially. 
Above rufescent-olive, the darker shades castaneous ; streaks be- 
neath castaneous-rufous. Nest and eggs as in melodia. Length, 
6.75; wing, 2.60; tail, 2.50; bill, .35 and .23. Hab. Pacific Prov- 
ince from British Columbia southward. ( Oregon Sparrow.) var. guttata . 
Above sepia-plumbeous, the darker shades fuliginous-sepia ; streaks 
beneath fuliginous-sepia. Length, 6.75; wing, 3.00; tail, 3.00; bill, 
.41 and .25. Nothing known specially of nesting. Hab. Pacific 
Province from British Columbia northward. ( Rusty Sparrow.) 
var. rufina. 
Above plumbeous, the darker markings dull reddish-sepia in 
winter, clove-brown in summer ; streaks beneath castaneous-rufous 
in winter, dull sepia in. summer. Length, 7.25 ; wing, 3.40 ; tail, 
