4 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 12. NIO 3. 



red colour, more or less yellovvish in tint, or mixed with 

 yellow. This vvill be fully proved, if an examination is made 

 of such species of birds, which Linn^us had the opportunity 

 of seeing Jiimself, and which he thus has described from 

 actual specimens, then using the word »fulvus». In Systema 

 Naturse, ed. X, we find then first that the tail of the present 

 Agapornis puUaria L. is described with the following words: 

 »cauda fulva fascia nigra». In this case fulva means bright 

 red. — About a member of the same genus as that to which 

 »Loxia hordeacea» belongs, viz. the present Pyromelana orix 

 L., we read ^ycollo uropygioque fulvis». Ornithologists of the 

 present age use to call these parts scarlet, althongh fire 

 red may be more suitable.^ — Passerina ciris L. according 

 to our nomenclature is said to be provided with »ahdomine 

 fidvo». It is vermilion, more or less mixed with yellow. — 

 About the common Redbreast {Erithacus ruhecula L.) Lin- 

 N^us says »gula pectoreque fulvis». In this case it is the 

 vvellknown bright colour, something between »orange cad- 

 mium» and »tan», or perhaps light »rust red». — LiNNiEUs 

 also terms Alcedo ispida L. »suhtus fulva». The same bird 

 is in Cat. of Birds. Brit. Mus. said to have the under parts 

 »orange rufous». — Finally it is very instruetive to see the 

 orange yellow Xanthomelus aureus^ L. described as »flavo- 

 fulva». These examples may be sufficient to fully elucidate 

 this question. 



The originally fire red shade of colour is still to be seen 

 on the type specimen of »Loxia hordeacea», although it is 

 somewhat faded. It is most conspicuous on the tips of the 

 feathers, whereas the proximal parts are more yellowish. 

 The same is, however, also often the case with fresh speci- 

 mens. 



The distribution of the colours is, with the emendation 

 made above, correctly described by Linn^us, but the word 

 »hiimeri» may be interpreted as meaning the scapulais, and 

 »margines rectricum» refers only to the central tail-feathers. 



As the type-specimen still is kept, and the description 

 fully agrees with the same it is thus fully proved that Lin- 

 N^us' »Loxia hordeacea» is identical with Pyromelana flammi- 



^ The german name »Feuerweber» testifies this. 



" The Linnean type of this »Orioluft a?<rgt/.s» is still kept in the N. 

 Nat. Hist. Museum. 



