370 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



The cardinals are the most striking of chaparral birds where they 

 occur. Seen against a background of dingy brush their red plumage 

 fairly glows in the sun till you are led to marvel at its brilliancy. 



Then how their loud whistle pierces the air ! How exquisitely 

 rounded comes their cue-cue, and with what force follows the rapid 

 Ii ip -ip-ip-ip-ip-ip-ip. 



593a. C C superbus Ridgw. Arizona Cardinal. 



Adult male. — Top of head and long crest brilliant red ; lores and 

 chin black, black of lores not connected across forehead unless by narrow- 

 black line ; rest of under parts brilliant red ; back dull red washed with 

 gray ; wing's and tail dark red ; hill very heavy. Adult female : crest, wings, 

 and tail partly red ; under parts dark buffy, chest tinged with red ; lores 

 and chin gray ; forehead dull yellowish mixed with red ; back dull gray ; 

 under wing coverts bright rose. Young : similar to adult female, but colors 

 duller ; bill blackish. Male: length (skins) 8.40-9.00, wing 3.92-4.11, tail 

 4.(17-5.00, bill .80-.89. Female: length (skins) 7.8.5-8.30, wing 3.79-4.00, 

 tail 4.48-4.7.5, bill .82. 



Remarks. — Superbus differs from cardinalis in larger size, relatively 

 shorter bill, pale red of male, and broken ring around bill. 



Distribution. — From southern Arizona south to Sonora, Mexico. 



The Arizona, like the eastern cardinals, are birds of the thickets 

 and brush patches, making themselves known by brilliant flashes of 

 color and their rollicking, spirited song. At Phoenix they build in 

 the thickets just out of town, and, though shy birds, seem not to 

 object to civilization. Vernon Bailey. 



593c. C. C canicaudus Chapm. Gray-tailed Cardinal. 



Male similar to cardinalis, but with less conspicuous black frontlet; 

 female averaging grayer than female of cardinalis. and with the tail feath- 

 ers broadly margined with gray instead of olive brown. Male: length 

 (skins) 7.00-8.60, wing 3.48-3.80, tail 3.8.5-4.38, bill .71-.82. Female: 

 length (skins) 7.00-8.20, wing 3.22-3.(37, tail 3.58-4.12, bill .70-80. 



Distribution. — From Texas south to Central Mexico. 



GENUS PYRRHULOXIA. 



General Characters. — Head with conspicuous crest ; bill very short, 

 thick, and deep, culmen convex ; wing short, much rounded ; tail long, 

 rounded. 



KEY TO adult MALES. 



1. Ring around bill conspicuously marked with black . texana, p. 371. 

 1'. Ring around bill rose red . ". sinuata, p. 370. 



594. Pyrrhuloxia sinuata Bonap. Arizona Pyrrhuloxia. 



Bill short and parrot-like, yellow or orange in summer, duller in winter. 

 Adxdt male : ring around bill, tliroat, breast patch, thighs, and under side 

 of wing light rose red ; lateral imder parts light gray ; tip of crest darker 

 red ; ring around bill with only faint trace of black ; upper parts light gray 

 tinged with brown ; wings and tail blackish and dark red. Adult female : 

 like male, but red of face and under parts wanting or only suggested ; 

 under parts buffy brown. Young male: like adult female, but paler, 



