PURPLE FINCH, OR AMERICAN LINNET. 529 



breast, middle of the belly and lining of the wings, a light carmine 

 tint. The tail forked, black, the 3 exterior feathers on each side, 

 white on their inner vanes for an inch or more from the tips. Bill 

 white, (in the female rather dusky). Legs and feet greyish-blue. 

 Irides hazel. 



BLUE GROSBEAK. 



(Fringilla cmrulea, Bonap. Loxla coerulea, Wilson, iii. p. 78. pi. 

 . 24. fig. 6. [male.] Phil. Museum, No. 5826.) 



Sp. Charact. — Deep blue ; lores and frontlet black, tail and wings 

 dusky , the latter skirted with pale bay ; bill dusky -blue. — Female 

 and young dark drab, tinged with blue. — The males probably 

 undergo a double moult ? 



This shy, and almost solitary species, chiefly inhabits 

 the warmer parts of America from Brazil to Virginia; 

 stragglers occasionally also visit the lower parts of Penn- 

 sylvania and New Jersey, and Bullock observed them on 

 the talkie land of Mexico. According to Wilson, it is 

 nearly a silent bird, seldom singing in the cage, its usual 

 note of alarm being merely a loud chuck ; though, at 

 times, their musical capacity, under more favorable cir- 

 cumstances, would appear, by their uttering a few low 

 and sweet toned notes. They may be fed on Indian corn, 

 hemp seed, millet, and the kernels of several kinds of 

 berries. 



This little known species is 6 inches long, and 10 in extent ; of a 

 rich purplish-blue, more dull and spotted with dusky on the back ; 

 coverts of the wings edged with bay ; quills skirted with blue. Tail 

 forked, edged with bluish, and sometimes slightly tipt with white. 

 Legs and feet lead-color. Bill dusky-blue, inclining to horn-color. 

 Eyes large, full, and black. 



PURPLE FINCH, or AMERICAN LINNET. 



{Fringilla purpurea, Gmel. Wilson, i. p. 119. pi. 7. fig. 4. [male.] 

 and V. p. 87. pi. 42. fig. 3 [male in winter plumage.] AuD.pl. 4. 

 Orn. i. p. 24. Loxia rosea, Vieill. Phil. Museum, No. 6504.) 



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