FRIXGILLIDJi — TOE FINCHES. 59 



The preceding diagnosis is intended to embrace the brightly colored 

 passerine birds of North America, ditl'erent in general appearance from the 

 common Sparrows. It is difficult to draw the line with perfect strictness, so 

 as to separate the species from those of tlie preceding group, but the bill is 

 always more curved, as well as larger, and the colors are brighter. They re- 

 semble quite closely, at a superticial glance, the Voccothraustina', but may 

 be readily distinguished by absence of the projecting tufts surrounding the 

 base of the upper mandilile, shorter, more rounded wings, and longer tarsi. 



The genera may be most conveniently arranged as follows : — 



A. Wings decidedly longer than the tail. Eggs plain l)lue or white, unspotted. 

 a. Feet very stout, reaching nearly to the end of the tail. Species terres- 

 trial. 



Calamospiza. Bill moderate, the Roiimiissvire with a deep angle 

 posteriorly and prominent lobe behind it; anteriorly nearly straight; 

 commissure of lower mandible with a prominent angle. Outer toe longer 

 than the inner, both nearly as long as the posterior. Outer four primaries 

 about equal, and abruptly longer than the rest. Tertials nearly equal 

 to primaries. Tail-feathers broad at tips. Color : black with white .spot 

 on wing in ^, brownish streaks in 9. Nest on or near ground; eggs 

 plain pale blue. 



Euspiza. Bill weaker, the commissure with a more shallow angle, 

 and much less prominent sinuation behind it ; anteriorly distinctly 

 sinuated. Outer toe shoi-ter than inner, both much shorter than the 

 posterior one. First primary longest, the rest successively shorter. 

 Tertials but little longer than secondaries. Tail-feathers attenuated at 

 tips. Color: back brown streaked with black ; throat white ; jugulum 

 yellow or ashy ; with or without black s-'poi on fore neck. A yellow 

 or white superciliary stripe. Nest on or near ground ; eggs plain pale 

 blue. 

 h. Feet weaker, scarcely reachmg beyond lower tail-coverts ; species arbo- 

 real. 



a. Size large (wing more than 3.50 inches). 



Hedymeles. Upper mandible much swollen laterally. Colors : no 

 blue ; upper parts con.spieuously different from the lower. Wings and 

 tail with white patches ; axillars and lining of wing yellow or red. 

 Female streaked. Nest in a tree or bush ; eggs greenish, thickly spotted. 

 Guiraca. Upper mandible flat laterally. Colors: ,J deep blue, with 

 two rufous bands on wings; no white patches on wings or tail; axillars 

 and lining of wing blue; 9 olive-brown without streaks. Nest in a 

 bush ; eggs plain bluish-white. 



6. Size very small Qi'ing less than 3.00 inches). 



Cyanospiza. Similar in form to Guiraca, but culmen more curved, 

 mandible more shallow, the angle and sinuations of the commissure 

 less conspicuous. Color: ^ more or less blue, without any bands on 

 wing (except in C- amcena in which they are white) ; ? olive-brown. 

 Nest in a bush ; eggs plain bluish-white (except in C. ciris, in which 

 they have reddish spots). 

 B. Wing and tail about equal. The smallest of American C'o7uVos<re«. Nest in 

 bushes. Eggs white, spotted. 



