518 GRANIVOROUS BIRDS. 



vated from the ground by a layer of coarse leaf-stalks, 

 such as those of the hickory. The eggs are 4 or 5, white 

 with a tinge of flesh-color, thickly spotted with reddish- 

 brown of two shades, rather more numerous towards the 

 larger end. The first brood are raised early in June, 

 and a second is often observed in the month of July ; but 

 in this part of New England they seldom raise more than 

 one. The pair show great solicitude for the safety of 

 their young, fluttering in the path, and pretending lame- 

 ness, with loud chirping when their nest is too closely 

 examined. 



The Towvvee Finch is about 8 inches in length; and 11 in alar 

 dimensions. Vent pale bay ; a few spots at times on the sides of the 

 bay of the breast. The wing in the adult and perfect male has the 

 1st primary wholly black. The next 3 with an interrupted white 

 edging, about ^ an inch in extent, running down across the wing ; 

 the white spot below, and just over the bastard wing, stretches over 

 the lower part of the 6 primaries after the 1st ; there are then 3 line- 

 ar, irregular, white blotches on the outer webs of the 3 tertials next 

 to the body ; in the younger males, even of the 2d season, these last 

 spots resemble a mere rufous- white edging, and the upper straggling 

 wing-spot extends now over the edges of the 5 primaries after the first. 

 The 1st primary is short, and the 3d, 4th, and 5th are nearly of equal 

 length, and longest, with the 6th but little shorter. The tail is long 

 (about 3.i inches), and the 3 first feathers on either side are regular- 

 ly graduated. The legs and feet are pale flesh-color, and remarka- 

 bly stout, with the claws very long. — Note. This, and some other 

 Mexican species, bearing a sort of family resemblance, have been 

 thrown into a genus apart by Vieillot, under the name of Pipilo ; 

 but we have not been fortunate enough to discover in this bird any 

 thing more than habit, to distinguish it from other species of true 

 FringlllcB. 



Subgenus, — Coccothraustes. 



In these birds the bill is very stout, and at base as wide as the 

 forehead ; it is likewise slightly curved at the point, and more or less 

 turgid at the sides. 



