Richard Bowdler Sharpe, for instance) in the past. S. a. caurina, first described by Alden H. Miller in 1929, is found in west-central California. This subspecies is also known as the San Francisco black-chinned sparrow. S. a. cana, first described by Coues in 1866, is found in southwestern California, and Baja California in northwestern Mexico. Also known as the California black-chinned sparrow, it has been considered by some in the past (Sharpe, for example) as a distinct species. S. a. atrogularis, the nominate subspecies, was described by Cabinis in 1851. It is found in north-central Mexico, and is also known as the Mexican black-chinned sparrow. The genus name Spizella is a diminutive of the Ancient Greek word , meaning "finch". The species name atrogularis is a combination of the Latin , meaning "black" and , meaning "-throated" (from , meaning "throat"). The common name "sparrow" is an English word which was in use prior to the 12th century. Though originally used for the house sparrow, a common European species, its usage expanded to the unrelated New World sparrows because of their similar appearance. Description The black-chinned sparrow is a small passerine, measuring 5 to in. (13–15 cm) in length, with a wingspan of roughly in. (19–20 cm). It weighs , with a median weight of . Overall, it is a slender, round-headed bird, with a high and a long, notched tail, which is proportionately longer than that of other Spizella sparrows. The sexes are similar, though the male averages slightly larger. The adult's head and body are gray, and its back is reddish-brown with black streaks. It has a "poorly defined" whitish belly, and its rump and are an unstreaked gray. The feathers in its wings and tail are dark brown with paler edges (white in the tail). In (during the breeding season), the male has extensive black on its chin, throat and the front of its face. It loses most or all of this black during the nonbreeding season; the oldest males may retain some black flecking. The female has little or no black on her face, chin, or throat at any point during the year. In , males and females can be difficult to tell apart. The juvenile resembles a nonbreeding adult, but shows indistinct streaking on its underparts, and two faint . The head and underparts have a brownish wash, and its outer are tawny-colored. The legs