Young. Plate CCCLXIV. Fig. 4.
The young resemble the female, but the lower parts are dull yellowish-grey, spotted and streaked with dark brown.
After the first moult the male still resembles the female, but is more yellow. At the next moult it acquires the red colour, which becomes richer and purer the older the bird.
In this species there are three longitudinal ridges on the roof of the mouth, and the palate is bent in the same manner as in Buntings. The tongue is of the same general form as that of the Pine Grosbeak, 3 1/2 twelfths long, compressed and slender at the base, with the basi-hyoid bone of a similar form, concave above, dilated and rounded at the end, so as to resemble a scoop or spoon. The œsophagus, b c d e, is 2 inches and 8 twelfths long, when dilated forms a crop of vast size, c d, which lies chiefly on the right side of the neck, but also passes behind so as to appear on the left side. This form occurs equally in the Common Crossbill, and seems to be peculiar to this genus. The greatest breadth of the crop is 10 twelfths. On entering the thorax, the œsophagus contracts to 2 twelfths. The proventriculus, e, is bulbiform, with a diameter of 3 twelfths. The stomach, f, is a strong gizzard of rather small size, somewhat bent in the same manner as that of the Pine Grosbeak, 4 3/4 twelfths long, 6 twelfths broad; its muscles distinct; the cuticular lining very firm but thin, longitudinally rugous, and of a light red colour. The intestine, g h i j k, is 10 1/2 inches long, its greatest diameter 2 twelfths, its least 1 1/2 twelfth. The rectum, j k, is 1 inch 2 twelfths long, including the cloaca. The cœca, j, are 1 1/4 twelfth long, and 1/4 twelfth broad.
The trachea is 1 inch 9 twelfths long, 1 1/2 twelfth broad at the upper part, gradually diminishing to 1 twelfth; its rings firm, and about 75 in number. The inferior laryngeal muscles are large. The bronchi are formed of about 15 half-rings.
The twigs represented in the plate are those of a species of Alder common in Newfoundland.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
Emberiza lapponica, Nilsson.
PLATE CCCLXV. Male and Female.
My first acquaintance with this species took place on the 15th of February 1819. Walking with my wife, on the afternoon of that day, in the neighbourhood of Henderson, in Kentucky, I saw immense flocks scattered over the open grounds on the elevated grassy banks of the Ohio. Having my gun with me, as usual, I procured more than sixty in a few minutes. All the youths of the village turned out on this occasion, and a relative of mine, in the course of the next day killed about six hundred. Although in rather poor condition, we found them excellent eating. Three days after they disappeared as suddenly as they had arrived, for although on the previous evening they seemed as numerous as ever, none but wounded birds were to be seen in the morning. Whilst at Shippingport, near Louisville, in the same State, I found a good number of these birds on the commons, feeding in company with Shore Larks and Snow Buntings, and obtained some dozens. Among all the specimens which I procured in that part of the country, none were in perfect or summer plumage, most of them being in the garb of the male, as represented by the second figure of my plate.