Peucæa carpalis, Coues. Rufous-shouldered Sparrow.
Sp. Char. Resembling in general appearance a large Spizella pusilla, but with rufous lesser wing-coverts, and blackish rictal and infra-maxillary streaks. Above grayish earth-brown, each feather with the medial portion dusky, forming conspicuous black streaks on the dorsal region, and dusky centres to the wing-coverts and tertials. Nape and rump plain, and more ashy. Crown and lesser wing-coverts plain rufous, the former divided anteriorly with a whitish medial line. Beneath ashy-white, including a well-defined superciliary and maxillary stripe, which have a slight buffy tinge. Throat nearly pure white, bordered on each side by a conspicuous narrow streak of black; whitish maxillary stripe bordered above by a dusky rictal streak. Bill reddish, darker on the culmen. Tarsi dilute brown; toes horn-brown. Wing, 2.50; tail, 2.75; culmen, .45; tarsus, .80; middle toe, .55.
Hab. Tucson, Arizona. (No. 62,372. September, 1872, Captain C. Bendire, U. S. A.)
Another specimen, supposed to be a female, in winter plumage (Tucson, January 10, 1873) differs quite appreciably in its markings and colors. The crown is more streaked, every feather being edged laterally with ashy-gray; the blackish streaks on the back and scapulars are more distinct, and the inner web of the lateral tail-feather is broadly bordered with white terminally. It measures, wing, 2.50; tail, 2.90; culmen, .45; tarsus, .70. “Length, 5.75; stretch, 7.80.”
Captain Bendire informs me that he found this species rather common in the vicinity of Tucson. It was generally seen in company with Poospiza bilineata. Its usual call-note resembled the syllables zib-zib-zib. He believed it to be a resident of Arizona throughout the year. It commences nesting early in June, generally building in the small mesquite bushes, sometimes not over six inches, seldom more than four feet, from the ground. The nests are composed of fine dry grasses and rootlets, and lined with the fine, slender seed-tops of the secatow or rye-grass, and sometimes with a few hairs. The nest is very deep, and is firmly fixed into a fork of the bush in which it is built. The eggs, when fresh, are of a pale green color, and average .73 of an inch in length by .58 in breadth, are unspotted, are generally four, seldom five, in a nest. One nest with four eggs was found September 11, 1872.
Passerella (II, 49). The capture of a specimen exactly intermediate between P. iliaca and P. townsendii, at Saticoy, California, December 14, 1872, by Dr. Cooper, renders it extremely probable that all the known forms of this genus are but geographical races of one species. The characters of this specimen (No. 63,651) are as follows: Most like iliaca in reddish tints and coloration of the head, with occasional nearly pure ashy lights, but with the suffused pattern of townsendii. Wing, 3.60; tail, 3.60; culmen, .50; tarsus, 1.00.
Passerella megarhynchus (II, 57). Dr. Cooper found this species common between 5,000 and 7,000 feet elevation, on the Central Pacific Railroad line, where most of the country was still covered with snow. One or two were to be found in every thicket at distances of a quarter of a mile, already paired and having selected their summer residence, having remained in close proximity to the snowy region all winter. In July, on a second visit to the mountains, he observed them still singing occasionally, at Truckee, near 6,000 feet altitude, on the east slope.
Euspiza americana (II, 65). According to Mr. Allen this species is abundant at Denver, Colorado, being found entirely across the Plains to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains.
Guiraca cærulea (II, 77). Has been obtained in El Paso County, Colorado, by Mr. Aiken.