Fringilla pusilla, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 110.
Field Sparrow, Fringilla pusilla, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 121. pl. 16. fig. 2.
Field or Rush Sparrow, Fringilla juncorum, Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. 499.
Adult Male, Plate CXXXIX.
Bill short, rather small, strong, conical, acute; upper mandible rather narrower than the lower, very slightly declinate at the tip, rounded on the sides, as is the lower, which has the edges inflected and acute; the gap-line very slightly arched, slightly deflected at the base. Nostrils basal, roundish, partially concealed by the feathers. The general form rather robust. Legs of moderate length, slender; tarsus longer than the middle toe, covered anteriorly with a few longish scutella; toes scutellate above, free, the lateral ones nearly equal; claws slender, slightly arched, that of the hind toe scarcely larger, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, rather compact on the back; wings shortish, curved, rounded, the third quill longest, the second and fourth scarcely shorter; tail long, emarginate.
This species, in size and general appearance, is very closely allied to the Chipping Sparrow (see [p. 21.] of the present volume.)
Bill reddish-brown or cinnamon-colour. Iris chestnut. Feet pale yellowish-brown. Upper part of the head chestnut; anterior portion of the back and scapulars of the same tint, but marked with blackish-brown spots, the middle part of each feather being of that colour; sides of the neck pale bluish-grey, and a line of the same over the eye; rump and tail yellowish-grey, the inner webs of the latter light-brown; quills and coverts blackish-brown, margined with whitish, the two rows of coverts slightly tipped with brownish-white; the under parts are greyish-white; the sides of the neck and fore part of the breast tinged with chestnut.
Length 6 inches, extent of wings 8; bill along the back ¼, along the edge 5⁄12.
The Female is rather less, and somewhat duller beneath, but in other respects is precisely similar.