BIRDS—FRINGILLIDAE—PLECTROPHANES ORN ATDS. 
435 
PLECTROPHANES ORNATUS, Towns. 
Chestunt-collared Bunting. 
Plectrophanes ornalus, Townsend, J. Ac. Nat. Sc. VII, 1837, 189.— Ib. Narrative, 1839,344.— Aud. Syn. 1839, 
99.— 1b. Birds Ainer. Ill, 1841, 53 ; pi. 154.— Nutt. Man. I, 2d ed. 1840, 537. 
Emberiza ornata, Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 44 ; pi. 394, f. 1. 
Centrophanes ornatus, Cabanis, Mas. Hein. 1851, 127. ' 
Sp. Ch. —Bill dark plumbeous. Crown, a narrow crescent on the side of the head, with a line running into it from behind the 
eye, entire breast and upper part of belly all round, black ; throat and sides of the head, lower part of belly and under tail 
coverts, with bases of the tail feathers, white. The white on the tail feathers runs forward as an acute point. A chestnut band 
on the back of the neck extending round on the sides. Rest of upper parts grayish brown, streaked with darker. Lesser wing 
coverts like the back. Length about 5.25 inches ; wing, 3.20 ; tail, 2.30 ; tarsus, .75. 
Hah. —Plains of the Upper Missouri. 
In this species the line of demarcation between the white of the throat and the black of the 
breast is very strongly marked. The black of the crown is margined on the sides by the white 
of the head, and in some specimens there is an indication as if a narrow white line were 
continued round on the occiput so as to margin the black ; the black crescent may possibly be 
continued forward to near the base of”the lower jaw, making the markings of the head very 
similar to those of P. pictus. There is a very faint indication of a white band along the edges 
of the lesser coverts, which, towards the elbow joint, increases considerably, but by its position 
is more or less concealed. There is, however, no tendency to black. The first and second tail 
feathers are entirely white, the latter with a faint trace only of brownish near the end 
externally ; the third, fourth, and fifth have the tips and sides near the end brown ; the 
•innermost feather is white only near the basal portion of the inner edge. The white runs out 
to an elongated acute point in the feather. The wing feathers are edged with paler, but there 
is no white. 
Specimens not in full breeding plumage have the black feathers margined more or less with 
brownish white. 
A young bird probably of this species has the top of the head streaked like the back, and 
concealed traces only of the black of the breast. The female shows no black ; this is replaced 
below by brown streaks on brownish yellow ; there is a row of streaks on each side the throat. 
The.top of the head is streaked like the back. 
The black breast, white throat, and chestnut collar sufficiently distinguish this species from 
its congeners, except P melanomus. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
1907 
Fort Union, Neb_ 
June 21,1843 
S. F. Baird. 
J. J. Audubon __ 
4827 
May 14, 1856 
Lt. Warren_ 
Dr. Hayden_... 
5917 
O 
5. 50 
10. 12 
5. 00 
5378 
¥ 
A 
June 23,1856 
5. 75 
9. 87 
3. 25 
5377 
A 
5. 37 
10. 00 
3. 12 
5379 
Medicine creek, Neb.. 
June 12,1856 
6. 25 
10. 50 
3.25 
