345 
FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 
565. Spizella atrogularis (Cab.). Black-chinned Sparrow. 
Adult male. — Throat and ring around bill black; head, neck, and lower 
parts gray, becoming 1 white on belly and under tail cov¬ 
erts ; back and scapulars rusty brownish ngrrowly streaked 
with blackish; bill pinkish brown. Adult female: like 
male, but usually with black of chin restricted, often want¬ 
ing. Young : similar, but black replaced by gray, streak¬ 
ing on back narrower, chest indistinctly streaked. Male: 
length (skins) 4.80-5.53, wing 2.37-2.75, tail 2.41-2.92, bill .34-.42. 
Female : length (skins) 4.90-5.45, wing 2.37-2.55, tail 2.33-2.75, bill .34- 
.39. 
Distribution. — Breeds from the desert ranges of California, Arizona, and 
southern New Mexico south to Lower California and to southern end of 
Mexican tablelands. 
Nest. — In bushes. Eggs: 3 to 5, plain light greenish blue. 
The black-chinned sparrow is common in Los Angeles County, 
California, in summer, on brushy mountain sides from the base of 
the foothills up to 7000 feet. Its song is said to resemble closely 
that of the eastern field sparrow. 
GENUS JUNCO. 
General Characters. — Bill conical; wing rounded, primaries exceeding 
secondaries by much less than length of tarsus; tail double-rounded; 
tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw; hind claw nearly or 
quite as long as toe. 
KEY TO ADULT MALES. 
1. Head black or blackish. 
2. Black of head not sharply contrasted with brown of back. 
connectens, p. 347. 
2'. Black of head sharply contrasted with brown of back. 
3. Back dark brown .oreganus, p. 347. 
3'. Back light brown. 
4. Sides of head and throat deep black . . . thurberi, p. 347. 
4'. Sides of head and throat slaty black .... pinosus, p. 348. 
1'. Head gray or brownish. 
2. Upper parts wholly gray. 
3. Wing with two w'hite bars .aikeni, p. 345. 
3'. Wing unmarked. hyemalis, p. 346. 
2\ Upper parts gray and brown. 
3. Back bright rufous. 
4. Wing coverts and tertials rufous .... palliatus, p. 349. 
4'. Wing coverts and tertials not rufous. 
5. Under parts uniform ashy white .... dorsalis, p. 349. 
5'. Under parts not ashy white. 
6. Sides gray. caniceps, p. 349. 
6'. Sides pinkish. annectens, p. 348. 
3'. Back dull brown. 
4. Sides slightly pinkish .montanus, p. 348. 
4'. Sides broadly pinkish .mearnsi, p. 348. 
566. Junco aikeni Ridgw. White-winged Junco. 
Adult male. — Entire body almost uniform light slaty gray except for 
Fig. 434. 
