GEN. CHAR. Bill large and strong, swollen, and without any ridges; the lower mandible nearly as high as the upper; as broad at the base as the length of the gonys, and considerably broader than the upper mandible; the edges much inflexed, and shutting much within the upper mandible; the commissure considerably angulated at the base, then decidedly sinuated. The tarsus barely equal to the middle toe; the lateral toes nearly equal, not reaching to the base of the middle claw; the hind toe about equal to the middle one without its claw. The wings long and acute, reaching nearly to the middle of the tail; the tertials decidedly longer than the secondaries, but much shorter than the primaries; first quill longest, the others regularly graduated. Tail considerably shorter than the wings, though moderately long; nearly even, although slightly emarginate; the outer feathers scarcely shorter. Middle of back only striped; beneath without streaks. This genus comes nearer to _Calamospiza_, but has shorter tertials, more slender bill, weaker and more curved claws, etc. Species. E. americana. Top and sides of head light slate; forehead tinged with greenish-yellow. A superciliary stripe, a maxillary spot, sides of breast, and middle line of breast and belly, yellow. Chin white, throat black, shoulders chestnut. Female with the black of the throat replaced by a crescent of spots. _Hab._ Eastern Province of United States; south to New Grenada. E. townsendi. Body throughout (including the jugulum), dark ash, tinged with brownish on the back and wings. Superciliary and maxillary stripe, chin, throat, and middle of belly, white. A maxillary line and a pectoral crescent of black spots. No chestnut shoulders. _Hab._ Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Euspiza americana, BONAP. BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. _Emberiza americana_, GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 872.—WILSON, Am. Orn. III, 1811, 86, pl. iii, f. 2.—AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 579, pl. ccclxxxiv.—IB. Syn. 1839, 101.—IB. Birds Am. III, 1841, 58, pl. clvi.—MAX. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 341. _Fringilla (Spiza) americana_, BONAP. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 85. _Euspiza americana_, BONAP. List, 1838 (type).—IB. Conspectus, 1850, 469.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 494.—SAMUELS, 327. _Euspina americana_, CABANIS, Mus. Hein. 1851, 133 (type). _Fringilla flavicollis_, GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 926. “_Emberiza mexicana_, LATHAM,” Syn. I, 1790, 412 (Gray). _Passerina nigricollis_, VIEILLOT. _Yellow-throated Finch_, PENNANT, Arc. Zoöl. II, 374.