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"Agelaeus phoeniceus. Blackbird. marsh Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Red-and-buff-shouldered marsh Blackbird. Male: Lesser wing-coverts scarlet, like arterial blood, broadly bordered by brownish-yellow, or brownish-white, the middle row of coverts being entirely of this color; sometimes the greater row, likewise, are mostly similar, producing a patch on the wing nearly as large as the red one; occasionally, there are traces of red on the edge of the wing and below; in some specimen the bordering is almost pure white, instead of buff." Elliot Coues, 1884

Red-winged Blackbird

"Agelaeus phoeniceus. Blackbird. marsh Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Red-and-buff-shouldered marsh…

"in full plumage: Rich azure-blue, the ends of the wing-quills blackish; throat, breast, and sides of the body chestnut; belly and crissum white or bluish-white. The blue sometimes extends around the head on the sides and often fore part of the chin, so that chestnut is cut off from the bill." Elliot Coues, 1884

Eastern Blue-Bird

"in full plumage: Rich azure-blue, the ends of the wing-quills blackish; throat, breast, and sides of…

"Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. Meadow-wink. Skunk Blackbird (Northern States), Reed-bird (Middle States), Rice-bird (Southern States). Male, in breeding plumage: Black; cervix buff; scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts ashy-white; interscapulars streaked with black, buff, and ashy; outer quills edged with yellowish; bill blackish-horn; feet brown. The faultless full dress of black, white, and buff is worn only for a brief period; and even in spring and summer, most males are found to have yellowish touches in the black, especially of the under parts. The "delirious song" is only heard while the males re trooping their way to their breeding-grounds, and before the midsummer change of feather." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bobolink

"Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. Meadow-wink. Skunk Blackbird (Northern States), Reed-bird (Middle…

"Pooecetes gramineus. Grass Finch. Bay-winged Bunting. Vesper-bird. Above, grayish-brown, closely and uniformly marked with dusky-centered brown-edged streaks, and further variegated by pale gray edging of the feathers. Crown quite like back, though the marking is in smaller pattern; superciliary line and eye-ring whitish. Under parts dull white, usually noticeably buff-tinged in the streaked areas, thickly streaked across breast and along sides with dusky-centered brown-edged streaks, anteriorly tending to concentrate in lateral chains bounding the white throat; above this chain a maxillary brown stripe; auriculars varied with light and dark brown. Quills fuscous, the longer ones with grayish-white edging, the secondaries and greater and median coverts with broad firm brown and white edges and tips; lesser coverts bright chestnut, whence the name "bay-winged". Outer-feather largely or wholly white, next pair or two airs largely white in decreasing amount. Upper mandible brown; lower, and the feet, flash-colored or yellowish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bay-winged Bunting

"Pooecetes gramineus. Grass Finch. Bay-winged Bunting. Vesper-bird. Above, grayish-brown, closely and…

"Spiza americana. Black Throated Bunting. Above, grayish-brown, the middle of the back streaked with black, the hind neck ashy, becoming on the crown yellowish-olive with black touches. A yellow superciliary line, and maxillary touch of the same; eyelid white; ear-coverts ashy like the cervix; chin white; throat with a large jet-black patch. Under parts in general white, shaded with gray on the sides, extensively tinged with yellow on the breast and belly. Edge of wing yellow; lesser and middle coverts rich chestnut, other coverts and inner secondaries edged with paler. Bill dark horn-blue; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-throated Bunting

"Spiza americana. Black Throated Bunting. Above, grayish-brown, the middle of the back streaked with…

"Calamospiza bicolor. Lark Bunting. White-winged Blackbird. Black, with A large white patch on the wings; the quills and tail-feathers frequently marked with white; bill dark horn-blue above, paler below; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lark Bunting

"Calamospiza bicolor. Lark Bunting. White-winged Blackbird. Black, with A large white patch on the wings;…

"Plectrophanes nivalis. Snow Bunting. Snowflake. Pure white; the bill, feet, middle of back, scapulars, primaries except at base, most inner secondaries, bastard quills, and and several tail-feathers, black." Elliott Coues, 1884

Snow Bunting

"Plectrophanes nivalis. Snow Bunting. Snowflake. Pure white; the bill, feet, middle of back, scapulars,…

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak (lower) and a Northern Cardinal (upper) sit on branches among the flowers. "Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Song Grosbeak. Adult male with the head and neck all around and most of the upper parts black, the rump, upper tail-coverts and under parts white, the breast and under wing-coverts exquisite carmine rose-red; wings and tail black, variegated with white; bill white; feet grayish-blue; iris brown. Female above, streaked with blackish and olive-brown or flaxen-brown, with median white coronal and superciliary line; below, white, more or less tinged with fulvous and streaked with dusky; under wing-coverts saffron-yellow; upper coverts and inner quills with a white spot at end; bill brown." "Cardinalis virginianus. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red-bird. Virginia Nightinggale. male, adult: Rich red, usually vermillion, sometimes rosy; pure and intense on crest and under parts, darker on back, where obscured with ashy-gray, as it is also on upper surfaces of wings and tail; the feathers of the wings fuscous on inner webs. A jet-black mask on the face, entirely surrounding the bill, extending on the throat. Bill coral-colored; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

A Northern Cardinal and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak Sitting on a Branch Among the Flowers

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak (lower) and a Northern Cardinal (upper) sit on branches among the flowers.…

"Molothrus ater. Common Cowbird. Cuckold. male Adult: Lustrous green-black, with steel-blue, purple, and violet iridescence. head and neck deep wood-brown, with some purplish lustre. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Cowbird

"Molothrus ater. Common Cowbird. Cuckold. male Adult: Lustrous green-black, with steel-blue, purple,…

"Ammodramus maritimus. Seaside Finch. Olive-gray, obscurely streaked on back and crown with darker and paler; below, whitish, often washed with brownish, shaded on sides with color of back, and with ill-defined dark streaks on breast and sides; maxillary stripes on the same; wings and tail plain dusky, with slight olivaceous edgings; wing-coverts and inner quills somewhat margined with brown; edge of wing bright yellow; a bright yellow spot on lore, and often often some vague brownish and dusky markings on side of head; bill plumbeous, or dark horn-blue; feet dark." Elliot Coues, 1884

Seaside Finch

"Ammodramus maritimus. Seaside Finch. Olive-gray, obscurely streaked on back and crown with darker and…

"Leucosticte tephrocotis. Swainson's Rosy Finch. Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. Sexes similar. Adult in breeding plumage or nearly so: Bill and feet black. Nasal plumules white. Frontlet black; rest of pileum hoary-ash, not descending below level of eyes and upper border of auriculars (for when the ash invades the sides of head to any extent, the bird takes the first step toward litoralis, in which the head is extensively hooded in ash). General color, sides of head included, chocolate or liver-brown of varying intensity, many feathers skirted with gray or whitish, especially the interscapulars, which also have dusky centres, and inclining to blackish on chin and throat. Hinder parts of the body above and below, including tail-coverts, rich rosy or carmine red, this color due to broad edgings of the dusky feathers of these parts. Wings and tail blackish, the wing-coverts and primaries edged with rosy, showing nearly continuous in the closed wing; edgings of inner secondaries rosy-white or white." Elliot Coues, 1884

Swainson's Rosy Finch

"Leucosticte tephrocotis. Swainson's Rosy Finch. Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. Sexes similar. Adult in breeding…

"Colaptes auratus. Golden-winged Woodpecker. Pigeon Woodpecker. Flicker. Yucker. High-holder. Back and exposed surfaces of wing-coverts and secondaries olive-brown with numerous black bars. Rump snowy-white; upper tail-coverts white, mixed with black. Primaries blackish, with golden shafts, and glossed with golden underneath, at their bases paler and more tawny yellow. Tail-feathers above black, their shafts and under surfaces golden, blackened at ends, the outermost with a few touches of yellow or white. Top of head, with back and sides of neck, ash, with a scarlet nuchel band (in both sexes). Sides of head, whole chin, throat, and fore-breast lilac-brown, with broad black cheek patches, these 'moustaches' wanting usually in the female. A broad black pectoral semi-lune. Other under parts shading from a lighter shade of the color of the breast into creamy-yellow, marked with numerous circular black spots. Bill and feet dark plumbeous. Iris brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Flicker

"Colaptes auratus. Golden-winged Woodpecker. Pigeon Woodpecker. Flicker. Yucker. High-holder. Back and…

"Sturnella magna. Field Lark. Old-field Lark. Meadow Lark. The colors, as above described, rich and pure, the prevailing aspect brown; black streaks prevailing on brown; yellow of chin usually confined between rami of under mandible; black bars on wings and tail usually confluent along the shaft of the feathers, leaving the gray in scallops. Sexes are similar: Female duller colored, the yellow paler. " Elliot Coues, 1884

Meadow Lark Foot and Bill

"Sturnella magna. Field Lark. Old-field Lark. Meadow Lark. The colors, as above described, rich and…

"Quiscalus purpureus. Purple Crow Blackbird. Common Crow Blackbird. Purple Grackle. Of medium size, with moderately keeled and graduated tail, shorter than wings. Sexes subsimilar. Bill usually less tapering and deflected at tip, but very variable. Adult Male: Iridescence very variable with season, age, and sexual vigor, as well as on different parts of the body; but always intense in healthy adults, and at its height during the love-ardor; variously purple, green, blue, violet, and bronzy; not he extensive green of the last species, nor usually the decided brassy of the next variety; wings and tail mostly purplish; dark purplish and steel-blue on head, neck, and breast; back more greenish or bronzy. Bill and feet ebony black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Purple Grackle

"Quiscalus purpureus. Purple Crow Blackbird. Common Crow Blackbird. Purple Grackle. Of medium size,…

"Cardinalis virginianus. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red-bird. Virginia Nightinggale. male, adult: Rich red, usually vermillion, sometimes rosy; pure and intense on crest and under parts, darker on back, where obscured with ashy-gray, as it is also on upper surfaces of wings and tail; the feathers of the wings fuscous on inner webs. A jet-black mask on the face, entirely surrounding the bill, extending on the throat. Bill coral-colored; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Cardinal Grosbeak

"Cardinalis virginianus. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red-bird. Virginia Nightinggale. male, adult: Rich…

"Hesperophona vespertina. Evening Grosbeak. General color sordid yellow, overlaid with sooty-olive shade, deepest on fore parts, quite black on crown, clearest below behind. forehead and line over eye, scapulars, and rump, yellow. Wings and tail black; several inner secondaries and inner half of the greater coverts white; lining of wings black and yellow. A narrow black line around base of upper mandible; tibiae black. Bill greenish-yellow; feet apparently dusky flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Evening Grosbeak

"Hesperophona vespertina. Evening Grosbeak. General color sordid yellow, overlaid with sooty-olive shade,…

"Pediaecetes phasianellus Columbianus. Common Sharp-tailed Grouse. Upper parts closely and pretty evenly variegated with blackish-brown, reddish-brown, and grayish-brown, the pattern smallest on the rump and lower back, where the blackish is mostly in sharp-angled stars; the reddish most conspicuous on the upper back, and both the lighter colors everywhere finely sprinkled with blackish. Wing-coverts like the upper back, but with numerous conspicuous rounded white spots, one on the end of each feather. Crown and back of neck nearly like the back, but in smaller pattern, and the markings mostly transverse. An illy-defined white area on each side of the neck, over the tympanum, and slight whitish stripe behind the eye. Throat fine light buff, usually immaculate, but sometimes finely speckled quite across. Under parts white, more or less tinted with buff towards the throat; the breast with numerous regular dark-brown U-shaped spots, one on each feather; similar but smaller, sharper, and fewer such spots thence scattered over most of the under parts, only the middle of the belly being left unmarked. Long feathers of the sides under the wings matching the upper wing-coverts nearly; under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white, not marked; flanks with bars or U-spots of dark brown. Legs grayish-white, unmarked. Quills of the wings fuscous; outer webs of the secondaries with equidistant, squarish, white or tawny spots, the secondaries tipped and imperfectly twice or thrice barred with white, gradually becoming sprinkled with the varied colors of the back, so that the innermost of them are almost precisely like the greater coverts. Four middle tail-feathers variegated, much like the back; others white, or grayish-white, on the inner webs, the outer webs being mottled; a few under tail-coverts spotted, the rest white; upper tail-coverts nearly like the rump. Iris light brown; bill dark horn-color; part of under mandible flesh-colored; claws like bill; toes on top light horn-color, the soles darker." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-tailed Grouse

"Pediaecetes phasianellus Columbianus. Common Sharp-tailed Grouse. Upper parts closely and pretty evenly…

"Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. Male: Purplish-blue, below pale purplish-gray, whitening on throat, belly, and crissum. A black collar across lower throat and up the sides of the neck and head behind the crest; a black frontlet bordered with whitish. Wings pure rich blue, with black bars, the greater coverts, secondaries, and tail-feathers, except the central, broadly tipped with pure white; tail much rounded, the graduation over an inch." Elliot Coues, 1884

Blue Jay

"Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. Male: Purplish-blue, below pale purplish-gray, whitening on throat,…

"Perisoreus canadensis. Canada Jay. Whiskey Jack. Moose-bird. Gray whitening on head, neck, and breast; a dark cap on hind and nape, separated by a gray cervical collar from ashy-plumbeous back; wings and tail plumbeous, the feathers obscurely tipped with whitish. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canada Jay

"Perisoreus canadensis. Canada Jay. Whiskey Jack. Moose-bird. Gray whitening on head, neck, and breast;…

"Centrophanes lapponicus. Lapland Longspur. Whole head, throat and breast jet-black, bordered with buffy or whitish, which forms a post-ocular stripe separating black of crown from that of sides of head, sometimes continues to the bill. A broad cervical chestnut collar, separated from the black cap by whitish or buffy line and nuchal spot. Upper parts brownish-black completely streaked with buff or whitish edges of the feathers; under parts white, the sides streaked with black. Wings dusky, with pale or brownish edgings of the feathers, but no strong markings. Tail like wing, with large white spaces on outer 3 feathers. Bill yellow, black-tipped. Legs and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lapland Longspur

"Centrophanes lapponicus. Lapland Longspur. Whole head, throat and breast jet-black, bordered with buffy…

"Pica. rustica hudsonica. Lustrous black, with green, purple, violet, and even golden iridescence, especially on the tail and wings. Below, from the breast to the crissum, a scapular patch, and a great part of the inner webs of the primary quills, white; some whitish touches on the throat; lower back showing gray, owing to mixture of white with black; bill and feet black; eyes blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

magpie

"Pica. rustica hudsonica. Lustrous black, with green, purple, violet, and even golden iridescence, especially…

"Icterus bullocki. Bullock's Oriole. Adult male: Similarly black and orange, the orange invading the sides of the head and neck and the forehead, leaving only a narrow space on the throat, the lores, and a line through the eye, black; a large continuous white patch on the wing, formed by the middle and greater coverts. Larger than Baltimore." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bullock's Oriole

"Icterus bullocki. Bullock's Oriole. Adult male: Similarly black and orange, the orange invading the…

"Porzana carolina. Carolina Crake. Common Rail. "ortolan." Above, olive-brown, varied with black, with numerous sharp white streaks and specks; flanks, axilars and lining of wings, barred with white and blackish; belly whitish; crissum rufescent. Face and central line of throat black, the rest of the throat, line over eye, and especially the breast, more or less intensely slate-gray, the sides of the breast usually also with some obsolete whitish barring and speckling." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carolina Rail

"Porzana carolina. Carolina Crake. Common Rail. "ortolan." Above, olive-brown, varied with black, with…

"Porzana carolina. Carolina Crake. Common Rail. "ortolan." Above, olive-brown, varied with black, with numerous sharp white streaks and specks; flanks, axilars and lining of wings, barred with white and blackish; belly whitish; crissum rufescent. Face and central line of throat black, the rest of the throat, line over eye, and especially the breast, more or less intensely slate-gray, the sides of the breast usually also with some obsolete whitish barring and speckling." Elliot Coues, 1884

Small Carolina Rail

"Porzana carolina. Carolina Crake. Common Rail. "ortolan." Above, olive-brown, varied with black, with…

"Melospiza fasciata. Song Sparrow. Silver-tongue. Below, white, slightly shaded with brownish on the flanks and crissum; with numerous black-centred, brown-edged streaks cross breast and along sides, usually forming a pectoral blotch and coalescing into maxillary stripes bounding the white throat; crown dull bay, with fine black streaks, divided in the middle and bounded on either side by ashy-whitish lines; vague brown or dusky and whitish markings on sides of the head; a brown post-ocular stripe over the gray auriculars, and another, not so well defined, from angle of mouth below the auriculars; the interscapular streaks black, with bay and ashy-white edgings; rump and cervix grayish-brown, with merely a few bay marks; wings with dull bay edgings, the coverts and inner quills marked like the interscapulars; tail plain brown, with darker shaft lines, on the middle feathers at least, and often with obsolete transverse wavy markings. Very constant in plumage, the chief difference being in the sharpness and breadth of the markings, due in part to the wear of the feathers. In worn midsummer plumage, the streaking is very sharp, narrow, and black, from wearing of the rufous and whitish, especially observable below where the streaks contrast with white, and giving the impression of heavier streaking than in fall and winter, when in fresher feather, the markings are softer and more suffuse. The aggregation of spots into a blotch on the middle of the breast is usual. Bill dark brown, paler below; feet pale brow." Elliot Coues, 1884

Song Sparrow

"Melospiza fasciata. Song Sparrow. Silver-tongue. Below, white, slightly shaded with brownish on the…

"Ammodramus. Seaside Sparrow. Bill remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen toward end, gonys straight, and sometimes an evident lobation of the cutting edge of the upper mandible. Wings short and rounded, yet longer than tail; inner secondaries, though not elongate, reaching nearly to end of primaries when wing is closed; point formed by 2d-4th quills. Feet large and stout, reaching outstretched about to the end of tail; tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw in length; lateral toes of equal lengths, very short, their claws under reaching base of middle claw. Tail shorter or not longer than wings, much rounded, of narrow, stiffish, sharp-pointed feathers. Embracing small streaky marsh sparrows, especially of the sea-coast, but not exclusively maritime, as long supposed; remarkable for slenderness of the bill, sharp narrow tail-feathers, and stout feet fitted for grasping slender swaying reeds. Edge of wing bright yellow; a yellow spot of buff stripe on head; upper parts olive-gray or quite blackish, streaky." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Details of a Seaside Sparrow

"Ammodramus. Seaside Sparrow. Bill remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen toward…

"Exotic Sparrow's - lowest pair - Passer domesticus (The Sparrow. Philip Sparrow. House Sparrow.) above pair - Passer montanus (Mountain Sparrow). House Sparrow - upper parts ashy-gray; middle of back and scapulars boldly streaked with black and bay. A dark chestnut; median tipped with white, forming a conspicuous wing-bar, bordering which is a black line. Greater coverts and inner quills with central black field bordered with bay. Tail dusky-gray, unmarked. Lower parts ashy, gray or whitish; chin and throat jet black, spreading on the breast and lores, bordered on side of neck with white. Bill blue-black; feet brown. Mountain Sparrow - Somewhat like the last, but smaller and otherwise different. Crown and nape a peculiar purplish-brown. Lores, chin, and throat-patch narrow and short, not spreading on breast, contrasted with ashy-white on side of head and neck; ear-coverts blackish. Back and scapulars streaked with black and bay, the streaking reaching to the purplish nape; rump and tail plain grayish-brown. Wings marked much as in P. domesticus, with a black and white bar across tips of median coverts, but also a narrow white bar across tips of greater coverts. Primaries more varied with ochrey-brown on outer webs, forming a basal spot and other edging. Below, ashy-gray, shaded on sides, flanks, and crissum with grayish-brown. Bill blue-black; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Exotic Sparrow's

"Exotic Sparrow's - lowest pair - Passer domesticus (The Sparrow. Philip Sparrow. House Sparrow.) above…

"Passerculs bairdi. Baird's Savanna Sparrow. Inner secondaries less elongated, rarely equaling the primaries in the closed wings. First 4 quills about equal and longest. Hind toe and claw about equaling the middle toe and claw, its claw about equaling the digit. Tail shorter than wing, lightly double-rounded (central and outer pair of feathers both little shorter than the intermediate ones). Top of head streaked with black and rich brownish-yellow. or buff, the former predominating laterally, the latter chiefly as a median stripe, but also suffusing the nape and sides of head in greater or less degree. Back varied with brownish-black and gray, together with a little bay, the two latter colors forming the edgings of the interscapulars. Rump variegated with gray and chestnut-brown, different in shade from that of the back. Under parts dull white, usually with a faint ochrey tinge on the breast, but often without; a circlet of small, sharp, sparse, dusky streaks across the breast, continuous with others, longer and mostly lighter, along the whole sides, and with others, again, extending up the sides of the neck into small vague maxillary and aurigular markings. When the feathers are perfectly arranged these lateral head-markings are seen to be post-ocular stripe just over the auricular spot, a streak starting from the angle of the mouth, and another heavier one parallel with and below this, running directly into the pectoral ones. Quills without special marking, excepting the elongated inner secondaries, which correspond with scapulars. Tail the same, slightly whitish-edge. Upper mandible mostly dark, lower pale. Feet flesh-colored." Elliot Coues, 1884

Baird's Sparrow

"Passerculs bairdi. Baird's Savanna Sparrow. Inner secondaries less elongated, rarely equaling the primaries…

"Amphispiza bilineata. Black-throated Sparrow. Black-faced Sage Sparrow. face, chin, and throat sharply jet-black; a strong white superciliary line, and another bounding the black of the throat; under eyelid white; auriculars dark slate. No yellow anywhere. Below, pure white; the sides, flanks, and crissum shaded with ashy or fulvous-brownish, but no streaks. Above, uniform grayish-brown; clearer ash in high plumage, otherwise browner, generally more shy anteriorly than behind, and shading insensibly into the black of the face. wings dusky; coverts and inner quills edged with the color of the back. Tail black, with narrow grayish edgings; the outer feather sharply edged and tipped with white, and several others similarly tipped. Bill and feet plumbeous-black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-throated Sparrow

"Amphispiza bilineata. Black-throated Sparrow. Black-faced Sage Sparrow. face, chin, and throat sharply…

"Passercules s. savana. Common Savanna Sparrow. Thickly streaked everywhere above, on sides, and across breast; a superciliary line, and edge of the wing, yellowish: lesser wing-coverts not chestnut; legs flesh-color; bill rather slender and acute; tail nearly even, its outer feathers not white; longest secondary nearly as long as the primaries in the closed wing. Above, brownish-gray, streaked with blackish, whitish-gray and pale bay, the streaks largest on interscapulars, smallest on cervix, the crown divided by an obscure whitish line; sometimes an obscure yellowish suffusion about head besides the streak over the eye. Below, white, pure or with faint buffy shade, thickly streaked, as just stated, with dusky- the individual spots edged with brown, mostly arrow-shaped, running in chains along the sides, and often aggregated in an obscure blotch on the breast. Wings dusky, the coverts and inner secondaries black-edged and tipped with bright bay; tail-feathers rather narrow and pointed, dusky, not noticeably marked." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Savanna Sparrow

"Passercules s. savana. Common Savanna Sparrow. Thickly streaked everywhere above, on sides, and across…

"Chondestes grammica. Lark Sparrow. Lark Finch. Head variegated with chestnut, black, and white; crown chestnut, blackening on forehead, divided by a median stripe, and bounded by superciliary stripes, of white; a black line through eye, and another below eye, enclosing a white streak under the eye and the chestnut auriculars; next, a sharp black maxillary stripe not quite reaching the bill, cutting off a white stripe from the white chin and throat. A black blotch on middle of breast. Under parts white, faintly shaded with grayish-brown; under arts grayish-brown, the middle of the back with fine black streaks. Tail very long, its central feathers like the back, the rest jet-black, broadly tipped with pure white in diminishing amount from the lateral pair inward, and the outer web of the outer pair entirely white." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lark Sparrow

"Chondestes grammica. Lark Sparrow. Lark Finch. Head variegated with chestnut, black, and white; crown…

"Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln's Song Sparrow. Below, white, with a broad brownish-yellow belt across breast, the sides of the body and neck, and the crissum, washed with the same; extent and intensity of this buff very variable, often leaving only chin, throat, and belly purely white, but a pectoral band is always evident. All the buffy parts sharply and thickly streaked with dusky. Above, grayish-brown, with numerous sharp black-centred, brown-edged streaks. Top of head ashy, with a pair of dark brown black-streaked stripes; or, say, top of head brown, streaked with black, and with median and lateral ashy stripes. Below the superciliary ashy stripe is a narrow dark brown one, running from eye over ear; auriculars also bounded below by an indistinct dark brown stripe, below which and behind the auriculars the parts are suffused with buff. Wings with much rufous-brown edging of all the quills; inner secondaries and coverts having quite black central fields, with broad bay edging, becoming whitish toward their ends. Tail brown, the feathers with pale edges, and the central pair at least with dusky shaft-stripes. Bill blackish, lighter below; feet brownish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lincoln's Sparrow

"Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln's Song Sparrow. Below, white, with a broad brownish-yellow belt across…

"Melospiza palustris. Swamp Song Sparrow. Crown bright chestnut, blackening on forehead, the red cap and black vizor as conspicuous as in chipping sparrow; but oftener, crown with obscuremedian ashy line, and streaked with black. An ashy-gray superciliary line; dark brown postocular stripe, bordering the auriculars; sides of head ashy, with grayish-brown auriculars, dusky speckling on cheeks and lores, and slight dusky maxillary spots or streaks. An ashy cervical collar separating the chestnut crown from the back, sometimes pure, oftener interrupted with blackish streaks. The general ash of the sides of head and neck spreads all over the breast and under parts, fading to whitish on throat and belly; the sides, flanks, and crissum marked with brown, and obsoletely streaked with darker brown. Back and rump brown, rather darker than sides of body, boldly variegated with black central streaks of the feathers and their pale brown or grayish edges. Wings so strongly edged with bright bay as to appear almost uniformly brownish-red when closed; but inner secondaries and greater coverts showing some black and whitish besides the bay. Tail likewise strongly edged with bay, and usually showing sharp black shaft lines. Thus well marked by the emphasis of black, bay, and ash." Elliot Coues, 1884

Swamp Sparrow

"Melospiza palustris. Swamp Song Sparrow. Crown bright chestnut, blackening on forehead, the red cap…

"Coturniculus passerinus. Yellow-winged Sparrow. Quail Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow. Edge of wing conspicuously yellow; lesser wing-coverts greenish-yellow; a yellow loral spot; short line over eye buffy-yellow. Crown with median stripe of pale brownish-yellow. Below, ochraceous or pale buff or tawny, fading to whitish on belly, not evidently streaked, though a few dark touches may appear on sides of breast. Above, singularly variegated with black, gray, yellowish-brown and a peculiar purplish-bay, in short streaks and specks; the crown being nearly black with sharp median brownish-yellow stripe, the middle of the back chiefly black with bay and brownish-yellow edgings of the feathers, the cervical region and rump chiefly bay and gray. When the feathers are not disturbed, the peculiar pattern of the cervical region separates that of the crown and back; the markings extend on the sides of the neck, but the sides of the head are plain, like the under parts. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries variegated in intricate pattern, the general effect like the back. Primaries and tail-feathers plain dusky, with narrow light edgings; outer tail-feathers paler, but not white. Feet flesh-colored." Elliot Coues, 1884

Yellow-winged Sparrow

"Coturniculus passerinus. Yellow-winged Sparrow. Quail Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow. Edge of wing conspicuously…

"Sturnus vulgaris. The Starling. Adult: General plumage of metallic lustre, iridescing dark green on most parts, more steel-blue on the under parts, and violet or purplish-blue on the fore parts; more or less variegated throughout with pale ochraceous or whitish tips of the feathers. Wings and tail fuscous, the exposed parts of the feathers somewhat frosty or silvery, with velvety-black and pale ochrey marginings, the former within the latter. Bill yellowish; feet reddish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Starling

"Sturnus vulgaris. The Starling. Adult: General plumage of metallic lustre, iridescing dark green on…

"No spots anywhere; wings and tail without decided barring or tipping. Bill as long as the head or longer, bow-shaped, black. Wings very much shorter that the tail. Above, dark oily olive-brown, the wings and tail similar, but rather purer brown. Below, a paler shade of the color of the upper parts, the belly and crissum strongly rusty-brown, the throat definitely whitish in marked contrast, and not bordered by decided maxillary streaks. Cheeks and auriculars blackish-brown with sharp whitish shaft streaks." Elliot Coues, 1884

California Thrasher

"No spots anywhere; wings and tail without decided barring or tipping. Bill as long as the head or longer,…

"Brownish-ash, with a faith olive shade, the wings and tail purer and darker fuscous, without white edging or tipping. Below, a paler shade of the color of the upper pats. Throat and side of the lower jaw white, with sharp black maxillary streaks. Cheeks and auriculars speckled with whitish. Under tail-coverts rich chestnut, in marked contrast with the surrounding parts. Bill black, at the maximum of length, slenderness, and curvature; feet blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Crissal Thrasher

"Brownish-ash, with a faith olive shade, the wings and tail purer and darker fuscous, without white…

"Meleagris gallipavo. Turkey. Upper tail-coverts chestnut, with paler or whitish tips; tail-feathers tipped with brownish-yellow or whitish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Turkey

"Meleagris gallipavo. Turkey. Upper tail-coverts chestnut, with paler or whitish tips; tail-feathers…

"Long-billed Marsh Wren. T. palustris. Above clear brown, unbarred, the middle of the back with a large black patch sharply streaked with white (these white stripes sometimes deficient). Crown of head usually darker that the back, often quite blackish, and continuous with the black interscapular patch. a dull white superciliary line. Wings fuscous, the inner secondaries blackish on the outer webs, often barred or indented with light brown. Tail evenly barred with fuscous and the color of the back. Under parts white, usually quite pure on the belly and middle line of the breast and throat, but much shaded with brown on the sides, flanks, and crissum. Bill blackish above, pale below; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Long-billed Marsh Wren

"Long-billed Marsh Wren. T. palustris. Above clear brown, unbarred, the middle of the back with a large…