Hab. Western Province of United States, from eastern base of Rocky Mountains to the Pacific.
This very appreciably different race replaces the restricted var. passerinus, in the Western Province of the United States. In its paler colors and much more slender bill than its eastern representative, it agrees with Passerculus alaudinus, Poocætes confinis, etc., as compared with P. savanna, P. gramineus, etc. It is to this race that the biographical notes in the preceding article refer, as far as based on western specimens.
Genus AMMODROMUS, Swainson.
Ammodromus, Swainson, Zoöl. Jour. III, 1827. (Type, Oriolus caudacutus, Gm.)
Gen. Char. Bill very long, slender, and attenuated, considerably curved towards the tip above. The gonys straight. A decided lobe in middle of cutting edge of upper bill. The legs and toes are very long, and reach considerably beyond the tip of the short tail. The tarsus is about equal to the elongated middle toe; the lateral toes equal, their claws falling considerably short of the base of the middle one; the hind claw equal to the lateral one. Wings short, reaching only to the base of the tail; much rounded; the secondaries and tertials equal, and not much shorter than the primaries. The tail is rather shorter than the wings, and graduated laterally; each feather stiffened, lanceolate, and acute.
Ammodromus caudacutus.
609 ♂
Color. Streaked above and across the breast; very faintly on the sides.
The essential characters consist in the slender and elongated bill; the long legs reaching considerably beyond the tail, with the lateral claws falling considerably short of the middle one; and the very short rounded wings, rather longer than the cuneate tail, with its stiffened and lanceolate feathers.
Common Characters. Above olivaceous or ashy, the crown washed with brown laterally, the dorsal feathers darker centrally; beneath white, tinged across the jugulum with ochraceous or ashy; jugulum streaked; a dusky “bridle” on each side of throat; above it a maxillary stripe of ochraceous or white.