710. Californian Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum). L. 12. Ads. Above grayish brown; belly distinctly buff; breast grayish, throat whitish, washed with buff; no white in wings or tail. Notes. Song suggesting both that of the Brown Thrasher and the Mockingbird. Range.—California west of the Sierra Nevada, north of about Lat. 35°; south into Lower California. 710a. Pasadena Thrasher (T. r. pasadenense). Similar to [No. 710], but grayer above; belly paler, throat whiter. Range.—Southern California. 711. Leconte Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). L. 10.5. Ads. Above brownish ashy, below creamy white, under tail-coverts buff. Notes. Call, a sharply reiterated whit or quit; song, remarkable for its loud rich tone; can be heard distinctly for more than a mile. (Mearns.) Call, low and musical, hueé-e, whistled through the teeth. (Stephens.) Range.—"Desert region of southern California, Nevada, and extreme southwestern Utah, from Benton, Cal. (Lat. 38°), southeastward through Arizona to Sonora (Lat. 30°). Local in San Joaquin Valley." (A. O. U.) 711a. Desert Thrasher (T. l. arenicola). Differing from [No. 711] in having upperparts darker and grayer, tail blacker, and breast gray. (Anthony.) Range.—Northern Lower California. (Rosalia Bay.) 712. Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissalis). L. 12. Ads. Under tail-coverts reddish chestnut; upperparts brownish gray; underparts ashy, chin white. Notes. No loud call note; song of remarkable scope and sweetness. (Mearns.) Range.—"Southwestern United States, from western Texas to the Colorado Desert, California, and northern Lower California; north to Charleston Mountains, Nevada, and St. George, Utah." (A. O. U.)

Perching Birds Chiefly Brown or Streaked

538. Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus). L. 6.2. Hind toe-nail as long as toe; all but middle pair of tail-feathers (and sometimes these) with white, two outer pairs white to the tip. Ad. ♂. Throat and cheeks buff; breast and belly black; crown black, nape chestnut; lesser wing-coverts black tipped with white. Ad. ♀. Above grayish brown streaked with black; below pale buff. ♂ in winter. Like summer ♂ but black and chestnut areas more or less tipped with grayish brown. Notes. Song, short, shrill, but very sweet, often uttered on the wing. (Allen.) Range.—Great Plains: breeds from central Kansas and eastern Colorado north to the Saskatchewan; winters from eastern Colorado and Nebraska south into Mexico. 539. McCown Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii). L. 6. Hind toe-nail as long as toe; all but middle pair of tail-feathers with white, the outer one white to the tip, the others tipped with black; lesser wing-coverts chestnut. Ad. ♂. Throat and belly white, breast and crown black; back grayish brown streaked with black. Ad. ♀. Below white washed with brownish; above grayish brown streaked with black. ♂ in winter. Like ♀ but a partly concealed black breast patch; tail with more white. Notes. Call, a chip at each stroke of the wing; song, of soft, twittering, pleasing notes. (Goss.) "A twittering, hurried chant, suggestive of the Horned Lark's performance, but terminating in decreasing power." (Silloway.) Range.—Great Plains; breeds from northwestern Kansas to Montana and the Saskatchewan; winters from eastern Colorado and Kansas south into Mexico. 552. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus). L. 6.2; Ads. Sides of the crown and ear-coverts chestnut; all but middle tail-feathers tipped with white; back broadly streaked with black; sides of throat and spot on breast black. Notes. Song, loud and musical suggesting both a Song Sparrow's and a Canary's. Range.—Interior of North America from the Plains east to Illinois; casually east of the Alleghanies; breeds from Texas to Manitoba; winters south into Mexico. 552a. Western Lark Sparrow (C. g. strigatus). Similar to [No. 552], but streaks on upperparts generally narrower. Range.—Western United States from the Plains to Pacific; breeds from Mexico to Manitoba and British Columbia; winters south to Central America.

536. Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus). L. 6.2 Hind toe-nail as long as or longer than toe; two outer tail-feathers with white at the end. Ad. ♂, summer. Nape chestnut; crown, cheeks, throat and upper-breast black; back black margined with rusty brown. Ad. ♀, summer. Crown and back black margined with rusty; nape brighter; below whitish; breast feathers dusky at base; sides streaked with blackish. Winter, ♂. Black areas and nape veiled with whitish or buffy tips; ♀, like ♀ in summer. Range.—Breeds in northern Europe and northeast North America south to northern Labrador; in America, winters south, irregularly, to South Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas; west to Manitoba. (Ridgw.) 536a. Alaskan Longspur (C. l. alascensis). Similar to [No. 536], but margins to back feathers much paler, brownish gray or buffy; nape in winter more buffy. Notes. Song, uttered on wing as bird with up-stretched wings floats downward, sweet, liquid, tinkling, of same general character as that of Bobolink, but shorter, less powerful. (Nelson.) Range.—Breeds in Alaska, Aleutian and Pribilof Islands east to Fort Simpson; winters south to eastern Oregon, Colorado, and western Kansas. (Ridgw.) 553. Harris Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula). L. 7.5. Ads. summer. Throat and crown black; nape chestnut, cheeks brownish; two white wing-bars. Ads. winter. Throat mottled with white, crown tipped with grayish. Notes. A queer, chuckling note; song of pleasing, plaintive whistling notes in musical tone like those of [No. 558], but delivered in a different song. (Cooke.) Range.—Interior of North America; from Illinois west to the Dakotas; in summer, the region west of Hudson Bay (exact breeding range unknown); south in winter to Texas (and Mexico?); accidental in British Columbia, Oregon and California. 565. Black-chinned Sparrow (Spizella atrogularis). L. 5.7. Below slaty gray. Ad. ♂. Throat and front of face black; rest of head and underparts slaty gray, the belly whitish; back reddish brown narrowly streaked with black. Ad. ♀, Throat with little or no black; crown washed with brownish. Yng. Similar to Ad. ♀, but never with black on throat; crown more heavily washed with brownish. Notes. Song said to resemble that of [No. 563]. (Bailey.) Range.—Mexico and southwestern United States; breeds from southern New Mexico and southern California southward; winters south into Mexico and southern Lower California. —English Sparrow (Passer domesticus). L. 6.3. Ad. ♂. Throat and upper breast black; crown slate; band behind eye and on nape chestnut. Ad. ♀. Below dirty white; crown and rump dingy grayish brown; back streaked with black and rusty brown; a buffy stripe behind eye. Yng. ♂. Similar to Ad. but throat and head tipped with brownish gray. Notes. Harsh and discordant. Range.—Introduced into America from Europe in 1851 and later dates; now distributed throughout the greater part of the United States.

537. Smith Longspur (Calcarius pictus). L. 6.6. Hind toe-nail as long as toe; two outer tail-feathers mostly white. Ad. ♂. Throat, breast and belly buff; nape buff; crown and cheeks black; ear-coverts and line over eye white; lesser wing-coverts black margined with white. Ad. ♀. Above brownish black margined with buff and rusty brown; below pale buff, sides of breast and flanks streaked with brown. ♂ in winter. Like ♀ but lesser wing-coverts black and white. Notes. Call constantly chirrup as they fly. (Goss.) Range.—Middle western United States; breeds in northern British. America; winters south over the plains and prairies to Texas; east to Illinois. 579. Rufous-winged Sparrow (Aimophila carpalis). L. 5.7. Outer tail-feathers shortest. Ads. Lesser wing-coverts bright reddish brown; crown reddish brown or chestnut margined with gray; back streaked with black and margined with grayish brown; below whitish; two black streaks from either side of the base of the lower mandible. Notes. Call, zib, zib, zib. (Bendire.) Range.—Southern Arizona, north to Tucson and Camp Lowell and south through Sonora to northern Sinaloa. (Ridgw.) 580. Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps). L. 4; T. 2.6. No yellow at bend of wing; outer tail-feathers shortest. Ads. Above reddish brown margined with buffy gray (no black streaks); below, including middle of belly, brownish; sides of throat with black lines. Notes. Song, very sweet, resembling that of Lazuli Bunting, but distinguishable. (C. A. Allen.) Range.—Northern Lower California north to Marin County and Sacramento Valley, California; local. 580a. Scott Sparrow (A. r. scottii). Similar to [No. 580], but above brighter reddish brown, the margins to the feathers grayer, the underparts much paler, the breast grayish, the throat and middle of the belly whitish. Range.—Northwestern portion of Mexican plateau and adjacent portions of Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas (El Paso Co.) (Ridgw.) 580b. Rook Sparrow (A. r. eremœca). L. 6. Ads. Crown reddish chestnut, back olive-brown margined with gray. Similar to [No. 580a], but back of a different color from crown, the grayish margins wider. Range.—Limestone Hill districts of middle Texas, from Kinney and Maverick counties on the Rio Grande, northeastward to Cook County and westward at least to Tom Green County; south in winter to Mexico. (Ridgw.) 580c. Laguna Sparrow (A. r. sororia). Similar to [No. 580a], but bill somewhat stouter, reddish brown above averaging brighter and wider. Range.—Southern Lower California.

540. Vesper Sparrow (Poœcetes gramineus). L. 6.1. Outer tail-feather mostly white; hind toe-nail not longer than toe; lesser wing-coverts reddish brown. Ads. Above grayish brown streaked with black and chestnut; below whitish, breast and sides streaked with black and chestnut. Notes. Call, chip. Song, loud and musical Look-look, see-see, me-me-me-me-me-me-sing, followed by a confusion of notes. Range.—Eastern North America; breeds from Virginia, Illinois and Missouri north to New Brunswick and Manitoba; winters from Virginia and southern Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. 540a. Western Vesper Sparrow (P. g. confinis). Similar to [No. 540], but paler, less black above; bill somewhat more slender. Range.—Western United States from the Plains to the Sierra; breeds from Arizona and New Mexico north to the Saskatchewan and British Columbia; winters south into Mexico. 540b. Oregon Vesper Sparrow (P. g. affinis). Similar to [No. 540a], but smaller, W. 3; bill still more slender; plumage browner, more buffy; browner even than [No. 540], the underparts, including belly, suffused with buff. Range.—Pacific coast; breeds in western Oregon (and north?); winters southwest of the Sierra to San Diego, California. 575. Pine-woods Sparrow (Peucæa æstivalis). L. 5.8; T. 2.5. Bend of the wing yellow; outer tail-feathers much shorter than the middle pair. Ads. Above reddish chestnut, head and back streaked with black and margined with gray; below whitish, breast faintly tinged with buff. Notes. Song, exceedingly sweet and plaintive. Range.—Florida and southern Georgia; winters in southern Florida. 575a. Bachman Sparrow (T. æ. bachmanii). Similar to [No. 575], but above brighter reddish chestnut, black speaks fewer and usually confined to back; breast and sides deeper buff. Range.—Lower Mississippi Valley, west to southern Indiana and southern Illinois, east to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia (rarely); west to Concho County, Texas; winters south in Atlantic States, to southern Florida. 576. Botteri Sparrow (Peucæa botteri). L. 6; T. 2.8. Bend of wing yellow; outer tail-feathers shortest. Ads. Above bright rusty brown (about the color of a Field Sparrow), head and back streaked with black and margined with gray; below buffy, the center of the belly whitish. Notes. Song, begins with a faint trill followed by a succession of disjointed syllables, cha, cheewee, wee, wee, wee, wir. (Henshaw.) Range.—Entire plateau of Mexico north to Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and southern Arizona. (Ridgw.) 578. Cassin Sparrow (Peucæa cassini). L. 6; T. 2.8. Bend of wing yellow, outer tail-feathers shortest, their ends with distinct grayish patches. Ads. Above gray streaked with dull reddish brown and spotted or barred with black; below grayish white. Notes. Song, lengthened and pleasing, usually sung on wing. Range.—Texas and southern Kansas west to southern Nevada and Arizona south into Mexico.