NO. 1116. PEOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 507 



This can not be, however, since Mr. Darwin ^ mentions only James 

 Island as its habitat. Mr. Sharpe has made similar mistakes regarding 

 type localities of Geospiza nebulosa and G. parvula. 



Family FRII^GILLID^. 



Genus GEOSPIZA, Gould. 



Geospiza, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, Pt. v, 1837, p. 5. Type, a. magnirostris, Gould. 

 Cactornis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, Pt. v, 1837, p. 6. Type, C. scandens, Gould. 



Generic characters. — Bill exceedingly variable in relative length, 

 depth, and width, its lateral outlines and gonys nearly (sometimes quite) 

 straight, and tip acute; culmen, from extreme base, less than two-thirds 

 to quite as long as tarsus; depth of bill at base less than half culmen 

 to nearly as long as culmen, but always greater than width of mandi- 

 ble at base; culmen more or less convex (always most so basally), but 

 sometimes almost straight; the basal portion usually strongly ridged 

 and sometimes elevated and strongly arched; gonys straight or almost 

 inappreciably convex, decidedly shorter than length of maxilla from 

 nostril; maxillary tomium without subterminal notch, first faintly 

 (sometimes almost inappreciably) concave, then about as much convex, 

 again reentering at the beginning of the abrupt and very conspicuous 

 basal deflection ; mandibular tomium nearly straight or slightly convex, 

 with its basal portion abruptly deflected, but the angle thus formed 

 not toothed; nostrils very small, oval or nearly circular; no obvious 

 rictal bristles. Wing rather short (a little more than 3 to nearly 3^ 

 times tarsus), rounded (second to fourth quills longest, first not longer 

 than fifth, usually shorter) ; primaries exceeding secondaries by less 

 than exposed culmen; tertials not longer than secondaries. Tail short 

 (decidedly more than half the wing, a little less to a little more than 

 twice as long as tarsus), slightly rounded, the feathers broad, with 

 rounded tips, about half hidden by the coverts. Outstretched feet 

 reaching to or beyond tip of tail; tarsus about equal to middle toe with 

 claw (sometimes a little longer or shorter), its scutellfe distinct; lateral 

 toes very long, reaching to nearly middle of last phalanx of middle toe, 

 their claws reaching to or decidedly beyond the base of the middle 

 claw; hind toe shorter than lateral toes, its claw nearly or quite as long- 

 as the digit. Color : Fully adult males entirely black, including bill 

 and feet, but under tail-coverts with broad whitish or buffy margins; 

 immature males, females, and young grayish brown streaked and spot- 

 ted with dusky above, beneath light colored with conspicuous dusky 

 streaks, the bill largely light colored (except in some adult females and 

 immature males). 



Range. — Peculiar to the Galapagos Archipelago. 



Few genera equal the present one in the extreme modifications in 

 the form of the bill, which in some species {magnirostris and strenua) is 



' Zoology of the Beagle, Birds, p. 39. 



