“In 1851, I procured this bird on the shores of the Bay of San Diego, where, in company with other species, it appeared to be engaged in searching for grass-seeds. During the late Pacific Railroad survey by the party under command of Lieut. Williamson, I again saw it in considerable numbers at Santa Barbara and San Pedro. At the latter places, as at San Diego, it frequents the low, sandy beach, and the heavy sedge-grass which abounds on the shores, feeding on marine insects and seeds thrown up by the tides on the former, and in the latter, finding quick and easy concealment when alarmed or pursued. It appears to be a quiet, unsuspicious bird, and I heard it utter only a short, sharp chirp during the limited time that I had to observe it.” [Illustration: Plate 38 The Long-billed Marsh Sparrow Ammodromus rostratus (_Cassin_)] At present, nothing further is known of this species. The figure in our plate is that of an adult male, and is of the size of life. DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS. Genus Ammodromus. Swainson, Zool. Jour. III. p. 348. (1827.) Ammodromus rostratus. (Cassin.) Emberiza rostrata. Cassin, Proc. Acad., Philada., VI. p. 184. (1852.) Form. Short, and rather heavy; bill lengthened, strong; wings with the first, second, and third quills longest, and nearly equal; tail rather short, emarginate; legs and feet moderately strong. Dimensions. Total length of skin, about 5¼ inches; wing, 2¾; tail, 2 inches. Colors. Entire plumage above dull-brownish and cinereous, every feather longitudinally marked with the former, and tipped and edged with the latter, the brown stripes being most strongly marked on the head and back; narrow superciliary lines ashy-white; throat and entire under-parts white, with longitudinal stripes, and arrow-heads of brown on the breast and flanks; stripes of this character forming lines on the sides of the neck from the lower mandible, above which are stripes of white; abdomen and under tail-coverts dull white; wings and tail brown, edged with paler shades of the same color, nearly white on the outer-webs of the external feathers of the tail, deeper and tinged with rufous on the wing-coverts and exposed edges of the secondaries; bill and feet light-colored, the former brownish above (in dried skin). Hab. California. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Museum, Washington. Obs. We are acquainted with no species which this bird resembles in any considerable degree, though its general characters are similar to the birds that we have mentioned in the present article. Its bill is remarkably large and strong, and its entire organization robust. PLECTROPHANES McCOWNII.—Lawrence. McCown’s Bunting. PLATE XXXIX. Adult Male and Female in Summer Plumage.