ORNITHOLOGY PASSERIN/E. 05 



Gould (in the ' Voyage of the Sulphur') lias figured three Birds belonging 

 to this family: Fringilla (Lin-aria ?) coccinea, p. 41, pi. 22, from the Sandwich 

 Islands ; Leiicosticte griseogenys, Gould, p. 42, pi. 23, from Russian N. Ame- 

 rica ; and Cactornis inornatus, Gould, p. 42, tab. xxv, from the Bow Island. 

 ( 'arduelis coloinbianus, Fringilla analis, Spermophila luctuosa, and olivaceo- 

 flava, all from Columbia, have been instituted as new species by Lafresnaye. 

 (Kcv. Zool. p. 291.) 



Passer pusillus, Pall., has been accurately characterized in both sexes by 

 Brandt, and its place indicated, under Pyrrhnla (Dtyospiza). (Bullet, de la 

 Classe Phys. dc Petersb. i, p. 366.) 



The genus Guiraca, needlessly separated from Coccothraustes, has been 

 enriched by Lafresnaye with a new species, G. cinerea, from the Galapagos 

 Islands (Mag.de Zool. tab. xxx), and he holds in readiness a new generic name, 

 Piezorina, in case some point or another in the habits should be superadded 

 to the characteristics derived from the external condition. If this confusion 

 in the manufacture of genera continues, we shall soon have as many genera 

 as species. Catamblyrfiyiichus diadema has been figured by him in the ' Mag. 

 de Zool.' tab. xxxiv. 



Eraser has characterized several new species from the Niger expedition 

 (Ann. Nat. Hist, xi, pp. 131, 133) : Ploceus collaris, Euplectes ntfo-velatus, 

 Coccothraustes (jlivaceus, Nigrita fmco-notm, Amadina poensis and Licolor. 

 Ni</rita is a new name proposed by Frazer for JEtlriops, which he says has 

 already been allotted to a genus of Monkeys, in which, however, he is wrong, 

 for this name has been applied in therology only as a specific and not as a 

 generic appellation ; the alteration is consequently superfluous. Amadina 

 Ltilhami, Vig. and A. castanotis, Gould, are figured in the 13th Part, 'Birds 

 of Australia.' Ploceus melanotis, is instituted by Guerin as a new species 

 from Abyssinia. 



Gould lias encumbered this family by the erection of 

 two superfluous genera Emblema and Po&phila. (Ann. 

 Nat. Hist, xi, p. 144.) 



The definitions are thus given : (1) Emblema. " Rostrum fere quarn caput 

 lougum, conicuni (ut in genere Ploceus}. Ahe mediocres; remige prima 

 parvula, 4 proximis inter se eequalibus ; tert.iariis elougatis. Cauda mediocris 

 et fere quadrata paululum rotundata. Pedes plautigradi, digitis gracillimis ; 

 digito intermedio exteniis lougiore, illis inter se sequalibus." E. picta, from 

 New Holland. (2) Pocphila. " Rostrum ad basin tumidum, et igitur fere 

 tarn latum et profuudum qnam longum. Alte mediocres, remige prima 

 parvula, 2 5 inter se fere sequalibus ; digitis gracilibus, medio exteniis 

 longiorc, illis inter se sequalibus ; digito postico rnedio valde breviore. 

 Ca/idct cuneiformis, rectricibus 2 intermediis productis." Typus : Amadina 



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