GENUS I. PLECTROPHANES, Meyer. LARK-BUNTING.
Bill very short, robust, tapering, somewhat compressed; upper mandible considerably narrower than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected, the marginal outline slightly angulate; lower mandible with the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges involute. Nostrils basal, roundish, partly concealed by the feathers. Head of moderate size, ovate; neck short; body compact, tarsus shorter than the middle toe with its claw, compressed, with seven anterior scutella; hind toe stout; claws long, rather stout, little arched, acute, that of the hind toe much elongated. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, pointed; the first quill longest. Tail rather long, emarginate.
152. 1. Plectrophanes Lapponica, Linn. Lapland Lark-Bunting.
Male, in summer, with the head and fore part of the neck black; a white band over the eye, passing along the neck, and margining the black; a brownish-red crescent on the hind neck; the feathers on the rest of the upper parts black, broadly margined with yellowish-red; first row of small coverts tipped with white; lower parts white, the sides streaked with black. Male, in winter, with the upper part of the head black, the feathers edged with brownish-red, cheeks and band over the eye greyish-yellow; feathers of the fore neck black, broadly tipped with white; dark streaks on the sides not apparent. Female with the upper parts reddish-grey, spotted with black; a greyish-white band over the eye; the cheeks greyish-brown; lower parts greyish-white, the sides streaked with dusky.
Fur Countries in summer. In winter, as far westward as Kentucky. Abundant. Migratory.
Lapland Longspur, Emberiza lapponica, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 53.
Emberiza (Plectrophanes) lapponica, Lapland Buntling, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 248.
Lapland Longspur, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 463.
Lapland Longspur, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 473.
153. 2. Plectrophanes pictus, Swains. Painted Lark-Bunting.
Male with the upper part and sides of the head deep black, with three bands of white on each side, one from the base of the upper mandible over the eye and along the neck, another under the eye and over the ear, the third bordering the throat; upper parts brownish-yellow spotted with black; a band of white on the smaller wing-coverts; lower parts, and a band across the fore part of the back, buffy orange.