Jr- 
THE AUK: 
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
vol. xiii. October, 1896. ^ *7/- 2 ■ NO - 4- 
THE SHARP-TAILED SPARROW ( AMMODRAMUS 
CAUDACUTUS) AND ITS GEOGRAPHICAL 
RACES. 
BY JONATHAN DWIGHT, JR. 
Plate IV. 
The Sharp-tailed Sparrow is a bird that can boast of con- 
siderable antiquity among North American species and it has 
been figured more than once by early writers, but the two geo- 
graphical races that have been described of late years are now 
figured for the first time on the accompanying plate. The spe- 
cific name dates from 1788, when the bird was called by Gmelin 
Oriolus caudacutus (Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I, pt. i., ^ 7 S8, 394)- 
His description, however, is practically a translation into Latin 
of Pennant’s description of a bird he calls the Sharp-tailed Ori- 
ole (Pennant, Arctic ZooL, II, 1785, 261), which Latham also 
describes (Latham, Synop. Birds, I, pt. 2, 1782, 448, pi. xvii), 
giving a fairly recognizable colored plate and stating that he is 
indebted to Pennant for the drawing of the bird as well as for the 
description. Neither Pennant nor Latham made use of any 
scientific name and therefore Gmelin becomes the authority for 
125 
