_Coturniculus passerinus_, var. _perpallidus_, RIDGWAY, Report of
U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th Par.
_Coturniculus passerinus_, COOPER, Orn. Cal. 1, 189.
SP. CHAR. Adult (No. 58,605 ♂, Antelope I., Great Salt Lake, June 4,
1869; U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th parallel) similar to var. _passerinus_,
but the light tints above prevailing, the ground a pale ash-color, and
the chestnut spots in excess of the black ones. Specks on the nape
very minute. Buff tinge to cheeks, throat, and jugulum so faint as to
be scarcely appreciable. Wing, 2.60; tail, 1.90; bill, .33 from
frontal feathers by .24 in depth at base; tarsus, .70. _Young_ (No.
53,942 Ruby Valley, Nev., July 22, 1868) differing from young of var.
_passerinus_ in a predominance of the light, instead of the dark,
markings on upper surface, streaks across breast so faint as to be
just appreciable, instead of distinct, and nearly black.
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.
[Line drawing: _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.
1. A. caudacutus. _Ad._ Above olive, the dorsal feathers
darker and edged with whitish-ochraceous; superciliary and
maxillary stripes deep ochraceous; jugulum and sides tinged
with the same, and sharply streaked with black. _Juv._ Wholly
ochraceous, darker above; crown and back streaked with black,
the former divided medially by a pale-brown stripe; breast and
sides streaked with black. _Hab._ Atlantic coast of United
States.
2. A. maritimus. _Ad._ Above ashy, the dorsal feathers
obsoletely darker centrally; superciliary stripe
yellowish-ashy, bright yellow over the lores; maxillary stripe
white; jugulum and sides tinged with ashy, the former
obsoletely streaked with dark ashy. _Juv._ Above olivaceous,
the crown and back streaked with black, the former not divided
by a lighter median line; breast and sides washed with
ochraceous and distinctly streaked with black. _Hab._ Atlantic
coast of United States.
Ammodromus caudacutus, SWAINSON.