^i(T. 10 BIRDS OF PINCHOT EXPEDITION FISHER AND WETMORE 65 



GEOSPIZA STRENUA Gonld 

 Gould's ground finch 



Geospiza strenua Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, October 3, 1837, p. 5. 

 (Galapagos Archipelago.) 



A female was secured on Indefatigable June 18, 1929, an adult 

 male at Academy Bay on the same island July 8, and a pair at 

 Villamiel, Albemarle Island, August 22. Of the latter the male is 

 immature, being in the dress of the female with light-colored bill. 

 The bill in the adult from Indefatigable is black. Measurements 

 are as follows : 



Sex and locality 



Male: 



Indefatigable Island 

 Albemarle Island... 



Female- 



Indefatigable Island 

 Albemarle Island.. . 



Wing 



Mm. 



80.1 

 74.8 



77.0 

 75.0 



Tail 



Mm. 

 50.3 

 45.1 



49.8 

 47.3 



Culmen 

 from 

 bnse 



Mm. 

 22.6 

 20.3 



19.5 

 21.9 



Depth 

 of 

 bill 



Mm. 

 19.0 

 17.0 



15.8 

 19.4 



Tarsus 



Mm. 

 26.3 

 23.8 



23.6 

 25,2 



Treatment of the forms of Geospiza in the present collection fol- 

 lows that of Eidgway in part 1 of Bulletin 50 of the United States 

 National Museum, all specimens being determined in accordance 

 with characters there given. No attempt is made to use trinomials, 

 though it is plainly evident that some of the forms are related sub- 

 specificallj'^ on adjacent islands, the problem of such relationship 

 being so complicated as to be successfully studied only with a com- 

 plete representation in series of the various forms. 



In a recent paper, H. S. Swarth *^ has erected a separate family, the 

 Geospizidae, for the genera Geospiza., Pinaroloocias., Caviarhynchtis, 

 Platyspiza.) and Certhidea. After due consideration of the alleged 

 characters we are unable to find trenchant grounds for separating 

 these from the Fringillidae. The close association of the genera 

 listed is evident, but it is doubtful if they have sufficient difference 

 as a group to merit even subfamily designation. 



So far as habits go we shall have to consider the 10 species of Gala- 

 pagos ground finches that came under observation as one form. 

 Unfortunately Wenman and Culpepper Islands, rich in bird life, 

 were not visited; if they had been, several additional species would 

 undoubtedly have been observed. 



These finches go in mixed flocks, and feed together just as if 

 they were the same species. Fully one hundred have been seen in one 

 of these masses. On two occasions a number were seen to congre- 



*• Proc. California Acad. Sci., vol. 18, Jan. 29, 1929, pp. 30-31. 

 51730—31 5 



