BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 287 



Very small, finch-like Ploccidas with the outermost (tenth) primary 

 minute (but little if any longer than the primary coverts), very 

 narrow, pointed, and rigid; tail nearly as long as wing, much grad- 

 uated (graduation about twice the length of exposed culmen), the 

 lateral rectrices terminating at tips of longest under tail-coverts. 



Bill about half as long as head, short-conical, its basal depth 

 about equal to distance from maxilla to ti]) of nostril, its basal 

 width decidedly less; culmen gently convex, rounded or very faintly 

 ridged; gonys much shorter than maxilla from nostril, straight or 

 very faintly convex; maxillary tomium with anterior half decidedly 

 concave, the posterior half convex, the rictal ]>ortion deflected; 

 mandibular tomium strongly convex. Nostril small, circular, or 

 broadly oval and vertical, in anterior end of nasal fossie immediately 

 behind the bulging base of the rhinotheca, almost if not quite hidden 

 by the feathering of the frontal antite. Wing (more than four times 

 as long as culmen, about three times as long as tarsus or a little 

 more), with rather short and rounded tip (])rimaries exceeding 

 secondaries by more than length of culmen) ; tenth primary minute 

 (but little if any exceeding primary coverts), very narrow, pointed, 

 rather rigid ; ninth primary nearly or quite equal to fifth, the eighth 

 and seventh longest, with sixth but little shorter. Tail nearly as long 

 as wing, much graduated, the tips of the lateral rectrices reaching 

 to about tips of longest under tail-coverts, and shorter than the 

 middle pair by nearly twice the length of culmen. Tarsus about 

 twice as long as maxilla from nostril, or slightly more, slender, the 

 anterior scutella fairly distinct; middle toe, wdth claw, about equal, 

 to tarsus or slightly longer; outer toe with claw reaching to base of 

 middle claw, the inner shorter; hallux equal to or slightly longer 

 than outer toe, much stouter, its claw about equal to or slightly 

 shorter than the digit; claws rather slender, rather strongly curved. 

 Coloration. — Plain brownish above, grayish beneath; adult male 

 with pileum dark gray, sides of head orange or orange-red, and 

 upper tail-coverts dull crimson. 



The above generic diagnosis is drawn from E. meljwda, the only 

 species that occurs in America, having been introduced and natu- 

 ralized in Porto Rico, 



ESTRILDA MELPODA (Vieillot). 

 SCARLET-CHEEKED WEAVER-FINCH. 



Adult male. — Pileum plain slate-gray or slate color; rest of upper 

 parts, except upper tail-coverts, plain brown (varying from deep 

 broccoli brown to nearly prouts brown or vand^^ke) ; upper tail- 

 coverts dull crimson or maroon-crimson; tail brownish black, the 

 middle pair of rectrices more slaty, or dusky brownish gray, edged 

 basally with dusky red; lores and orbits flame scarlet or saturn red. 



