Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 33. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 33rd Lecture (ca. 1799): "No. 1486. Chesnut spotted Bunting. head & back brown striped with chesnut red. the breast white striped with chesnut. the bill is much like the Rice-bunting (Reed Bird). rather thicker in common character of buntings. It is a rare bird, seldom seen except in fall Autumn. and perhaps not described. found in Pennsylvania. They pass the winter in Virginia." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Peale wrote, in "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805–1806): "The Chesnut spotted bunting is a rare bird here, perhaps not described – found in the Autumn in Pennsylvania. They pass the Winter in Virginia." (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481)
Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) described this species under the name "Fox-colored Sparrow / Fringilla rufa" in American Ornithology vol. 3 (Pl. 22), where "Peale's Museum, No. 6092" was cited (Wilson 1811: 53). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175516#page/65/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175516#page/60/mode/1up (plate)
A mounted male specimen of "Fringilla rufa (Foxy Sparrow)" was listed in "A Catalogue of Duplicate Specimens...", May 1822. [unpublished] American Philosophical Society Library (Mss.B.P31).
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Fox Sparrow
Current Scientific Name
Passerellidae | Passerella iliaca
