CHAR. Bill variable, usually almost straight; sometimes curved.
Commissure generally nearly straight, or slightly concave. Upper
mandible wider than lower. Nostrils exposed. Wings moderate; the outer
primaries not much rounded. Tail variable. Feet large; tarsi mostly
longer than the middle toe.
The species are usually small, and of dull color, though frequently
handsomely marked. Nearly all are streaked on the back and crown,
often on the belly. None of the United States species have any red,
blue, or orange, and the yellow, when present, is as a superciliary
streak, or on the elbow edge of the wing.
In the arrangement of this subfamily, as of the others belonging to
the _Fringillidæ_, we do not profess to give anything like a natural
system, but merely an attempt at a convenient artificial scheme by
which the determination of the genera may be facilitated.
A. Tail small and short; considerably or decidedly shorter than
the wings, owing either to the elongation of the wing or the
shortening of the tail. Lateral toes shorter than the middle
without its claw. Species streaked above and below. (Passerculeæ.)
_a._ Thickly streaked everywhere above, on the sides, and
across the breast. Wing pointed; longest primaries considerably
longer than the secondaries. Tail forked.
Centronyx. Hind claw very large; rather longer than its
digit. The hind toe and claw, together, as long as or longer
than the middle toe and claw. Other toes as in _Passerculus_.
Claws gently curved. Tertials shorter than the secondaries.
Tail forked, but the lateral feathers shorter.
Passerculus. Hind claw as long as its digit; the toe equal
to the middle one without its claw; lateral toes falling
considerably short of the middle claw. Wings very long; first
primary longest. Tertials as long as the primaries. Tail
forked; feathers acute.
Poocætes. Hind claw shorter than its digit; the whole toe
less than the middle toe without its claw. Lateral toes
nearly equal to the middle one, without its claw. Tertials
but little longer than secondaries. Tail stiffened, forked;
feathers acute, outer ones white.
_b._ Moderately streaked above, on the sides, and on the
breast, the latter sometimes unstreaked; the dorsal streaks
broader, the others fainter than in the last. Wings short,
reaching a little beyond the base of the tail. Not much
difference between the primaries and secondaries. Tail short,
graduated, and the feathers lanceolate, acute.
Coturniculus. Bill short; thick. Tertials almost equal to
the primaries; truncate at the end. Claws small, weak; hinder
one shorter than its digit. Outstretched feet not reaching
the tip of the tail. Tail-feathers not stiffened. (In one
species tail nearly equal to the wing.)
Ammodromus. Bill slender, small at base, and elongated.
Tertials not longer than the secondaries; rounded at the tip.
Claws large, hinder one equal to its digit. Outstretched toes
reaching considerably beyond the end of the stiffened, almost
scansorial tail.
B. Tail longer and broader; nearly or quite as long as,
sometimes a very little longer than, the wings, which are rather
lengthened. The primaries considerably longer than the secondaries.
None of the species streaked beneath, and the back alone streaked
above. (Spizelleæ.)
_a._ Tail rounded or slightly graduated.
Chondestes. Tail considerably graduated, not emarginated.
Lateral toes considerably shorter than the middle toe,
without its claw. Wings very long, decidedly longer than the
tail, reaching the middle of the tail. First quill longest.
Head striped. Back streaked. White beneath. A white blotch on
the end of the tail-feathers.
Zonotrichia. Tail moderately graduated. Wings moderate,
about as long as the tail, reaching about over the basal
fourth of the tail; first quill less than the second to
fourth. Feet large. Head striped with black and white, or
with brown and ochraceous. Back streaked.
Junco. Tail very nearly equal to the wings, slightly
emarginate, and decidedly rounded. Outer toe rather longer
than inner, reaching the middle claw. No streaks anywhere
except in young; black or ash-color above; belly white; with
or without a rufous back and sides. Outer tail-feathers
white.
Poospiza. Tail lengthened, slightly graduated; the feathers
unusually broad to the end. Bill slender. Wings about as long
as the tail, reaching but little beyond its external base.
Tertials broad, and, with the secondaries, rather lengthened.
Second to fifth quills nearly equal, and longest. Bill dark
lead-color. Tail black. Uniform ashy-brown above; white
beneath. Sides of head with stripes of black and white.
_b._ Tail decidedly forked; a little shorter than the wing,
sometimes a little longer.
Spizella. Size rather small. Wings long. Lower mandible
largest. Uniform beneath, or with a pectoral spot or the chin
black.
C. Tail lengthened and graduated; decidedly longer than the
wings, which are very short, scarcely extending beyond the
external base of the tail. Feet reaching but little beyond the
middle of the tail. Species all streaked above; streaked or
nearly unicolor beneath. No white on wings or tail. Outer lateral
toe the longer. First quill not the shortest of the primaries.
(Melospizeæ.)
Melospiza. Culmen and commissure nearly straight. Claws
stout; hinder one as large as its digit. Tail-feathers rather
broad. Body streaked beneath.
Peucæa. Culmen and commissure curved. Claws weak; hinder
one not much curved, decidedly shorter than its digit.
Tail-feathers narrow. Without streaks beneath, excepting a
narrow maxillary stripe.
D. Tail rather short, and much graduated; longer than the
wings; the midrib more median. Culmen curved. Tarsus considerably
longer than middle toe. Outer toe longer. But little difference
in the length of the quills; the outer ones much rounded; even
the second quill is shorter than any other primary except the
first.
Embernagra. Color, olive-green above.