466 
U. S. P. R, R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
JUISrCO OREGONUS, Sclater. 
Oregon Snow Bird. 
Fringilla oregona, Townsend, J. A. N. Sc. VII, 1837, 188.— Ib. Narrative, 1839, 345.— Addubon, Orn. Biog, V, 
1839, 68; pi. 398. 
Struthus orcgonus, Bon. List, 1838.— Ib . Consp. 1850,475.— Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route; Rep. P. R. 
R. VI, iv, 1857, 88. 
Niphoea oregona, Audubon, Synopsis, 1839, 107.— Ib. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 91; pi. 168.— Cab. Mus. Hein. 
1851, 134. * 
Junco oregonus, Sclater, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1857, 7. 
Fringilla liudsonia, Light. Beit. Faun. Cal. in Abh. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, for 1838, 1839, 424. (Not F. hudsonia, 
Forster.) 
“ Fringilla atrata, Brandt, Icon. Rosso-As. tab. ii, f. 8.” (Cab.) 
Sp. Ch— Head and neck all round sooty black ; this color extending to the upper part of the breast, but not along the sides 
under the wings. Interscapular region of the back and exposed surface of the wings dark rufous brown. A lighter tint of the 
same on the sides of breast and belly. Rump brownish ash. Outer two tail feathers white; the third with only an obscure 
streak of white. Length, about 6.50 inches ; wing, 3.00. ^ 
Flab. —Pacific coast of the United States to the eastern side of the Rocky mountains. Stragglers as far east as Fort Leaven¬ 
worth in winter and Great Bend of Missouri. 
In this species the wing is rather pointed ; the second and third quills equal, and longest; 
the fourth appreciably shorter ; the first intermediate between the fourth and fifth. 
Oregon specimens have the hack of a darker rufous than California ones, in which this region, 
as well as the sides of the body are considerably paler. 
Immature, and most winter specimens do not have the black of the head and neck so well 
defined, hut edged above more or less with the color of the hack ; below with light ashy. 
The Oregon snow bird in full plumage is readily distinguishable from the eastern species by 
the purer white of the belly ; the more sharply defined outline of the black of the head passes 
directly across the upper part of the breast, and is even convex in its posterior outline, without 
extending down the side of the breast, with its posterior outline strongly concave, as in 
hyemalis. The absence of black or ashy brown under the wings, with the rufous tinge, are 
highly characteristic of oregonus. The head and neck are considerably blacker ; the rufous of 
the back and wings does not exist in the other. The wings and quills are more pointed ; the 
second quill usually longest, instead of the third, &c. The dusky of the throat reaches in S. 
oregonus only to the upper part of the breast; to its middle region in liyemalis. 
