488 
U. S. P. R, R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
This section embraces a single North American genus, chiefly characterized by the remarkable 
elongation of the lateral toes, as well as by the peculiar shape and great size of all the claws; 
the lateral, especially, are so much lengthened as to extend nearly as far as the middle. The 
only approach to this, as far as I recollect, among United States Conirostres, is in Pipilo mega- 
lonyx, and Agelaius icterocephalus. 
\ 
PxASSERELLA, Swainson. 
Passerella, Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 288. Type Fringilla iliaca, Merretn. 
Ch.— Body stout. Bill conical, not notched, the outlines straight ; the two jaws of equal depth ; roof of upper mandible 
deeply excavated, and vaulted ; not knobbed. Tarsus scarcely longer than the middle toe ; outer toe little longer than the 
inner, its claw reaching to the middle of the central one. Hind toe about equal to the inner lateral ; the claws all long, and 
moderately curved only ; the posterior rather longer than the middle, and equal to its toe. Wings long, pointed, reaching tq 
the middle of the tail ; the tertials not longer than secondaries; second and third quills longest; first equal to the fifth. Tail 
very nearly even, scarcely longer than the wing. Inner claw contained scarcely one-and-a-half times in its toe proper. 
Color. —Rufous or slaty ; obsoletely streaked or uniform above ; thickly spotted with triangular blotches beneath. 
The following species constitute the known members of the genus from the United States: 
Back, breast, and sides of neck and body streaked distinctly with light brownish red ; of 
which color are the wings and tail. . P. iliaca. 
Wings and tail dark brownish rufous; rest of upper parts uniform olivaceous rufous. Under 
parts with thickly crowded, more or less confluent, spots of the same... P. toivnsendii. 
Wings and tail dark brownish rufous ; rest of upper parts uniform slate gray. The under 
parts with distinct triangular spots of the same... P. schistacea. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
Catal. No. 
Species. 
Locality. 
Sex. 
\ Length. 
Stretch of 
wings. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle toe. 
Its claw 
alone. 
Hind toe 
and claw. 
Hind claw 
and toe. 
Bill above. 
Along gape. 
Specimen 
measured. 
831 
Q 
6.34 
3 32 
3.00 
0.89 
0.90 
0.28 
0.70 
0.34 
0.42 
0.53 
6.82 
11.00 
3.42 
1323 
<? 
6.50 
3.46 
3.10 
0.96 
0.92 
0.28 
0.70 
0.36 
0.47 
0.50 
Skin.. 
7.42 
11.25 
3.50 
Fresh ..... 
2874 
O 
6.70 
2 94 
3.04 
0 91 
0.95 
0 32 
0 78 
0.42 
0 46 
0.51 
6241 
6.76 
3.28 
3.24 
1 00 
1.01 
0.38 
0.83 
0.47 
0.50 
0.61 
Skin ...... 
10277 
$ 
6,90 
3.46 
3 38 
1.02 
1.00 
0.35 
0.79 
0.42 
0.50 
0.60 
Skin. 
10280 
o 
6.82 
3 26 
3 66 
0 90 
i .00 
0.40 
0.83 
0.50 
0.50 
0.56 
10279 
V 
3 
6.80 
3.08 
3.40 
0.94 
0.87 
0.26 
0.73 
0,38 
0.50 
0.56 
Skin. 
PASSERELLA ILIACA, Swainson. 
Fox-colored Sparrow. 
Fringilla iliaca, Merrem. “ Beitr. zur besond. Gesch. der Vogel, II, 1786—’87, 40 ; pi. x.”— Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 
1788, 923.— Add. Orn. Biog. 11,1834,58 : V, 512; pi. 108 .—Ib. Syn. 1839 .—Ib. Birds Amer. 
Ill, 1841, 139 ; pi. 186. 
Passerella iliaca, Sw. Birds, II, 1837, 288.— Bon. List, 1838 .—Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 477. 
Fringilla rvfa, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 53 ; pi. xxiv, f. 4.— Licht. Verz. 1823, No. 248. 
Fringilla ferruginea, Wilson, Catalogue, VI, 1812.—Hall’s ed. Wilson, II, 255. 
“ Emberiza pratensis, Vieill.” Gray. 
Sp. Ch.—M iddle of the back dull ash, each feather with a large blotch of brownish red; top of head and neck, with rump 
similar, but with smaller and more obsolete blotches. Upper tail coverts, with exposed surface of wings and tail, bright rufous. 
