446 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



of bill at base .55-.G0 (.56). Eggs .90 X -65. Hah. Western United 

 States, north to Colorado, California, etc., south throughout Mexico. 



— . G. caerulea eurhyncha Coues. Western Blue Grosbeak.^ 

 a'. Wino--coverts without differently colored tips ; first quill shorter than seventh 

 (sometimes shoi'ter than eighth). 



Adult male: Entirely dull blue-black, with a superficial tinting of dull 

 indigo-blue, most obvious on forehead, superciliary region, cheeks, and 

 lesser wing-coverts. Adult female : Uniform rich vandyke-brown (or deep 

 burnt-umber), browner above, rather lighter and brighter brown beneath. 

 Length about 6.00-6.50, wing 3.00-3.30, tail 2.60-3.00, exposed culmen 

 .75-.85, depth of bill at base .65-.75. Hah. Central America, north to 

 Guatemala and eastern Mexico (Yera Cruz). 



G. cyanoides concreta (Du Bus). Blue-black Grosbeak.^ 



Genus PASSERINA Yieillot. (Page 385, pi. CXII., fig. 5.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Adult males very brightly colored, with more or less 

 of blue in the plumage, often in combination with other rich colors, as red, yellow, 

 purple, or green. Adult females and young plain brownish above, beneath similar, 

 but lighter. Nests in bushes. Eggs whitish, sometimes spotted with reddish brown, 

 oftener plain. 



a'. Bill larger and more swollen, the lateral outlines decidedly convex, and the cut- 

 ting-edge of upper mandible convex in middle portion. (Subgenus Cyano- 

 compsa Cabanis.^) 

 b^. Gonys not more than .30; wing not more than 2.85. {Adult males dark 

 blue, becoming bright rich blue on forehead, superciliary region, cheeks, 

 rump, and lesser wing-coverts ; female and young brown, paler beneath, 

 the throat and middle of belly whitish.) 

 c\ Blue a rich dark marine-blue shade, brightening on forehead, etc., into 

 azure ; length about 5.00, wing 2.60-2.85, tail 2.20-2.35, exposed cul- 

 men .40-45. Hah. Southern and eastern Mexico, north to lower 



Eio Grande Yalley. 



P. parellina (Bonap.). Blue Bunting.* 



c\ Blue an indigo shade, brightening on forehead, etc., into cerulean-blue 



(almost turquoise on forehead) ; length about 5.00, wing 2.80, tail 



1 Guiraca ciertilea, var. eurhyncha CoTJES, Am. Nat, viii. Sept. 1874, 563. 



Although two of the three characters originally ascribed {i.e., larger size and different color of bill) fail of 

 substantiation, the third (larger size), taken in connection with well-marked differences of plumage, is quite 

 sufficient to characterize the western (or, rather, southwestern) bird as a well-defined race. 



2 Cyanoloxia concreta Du Bus, Bull. Ac. Brux. xxii. 1855, 150, 



3 Cyanocompsa Cab., J. f. 0. 1861, 4. Type, Cyanoloxia parellina BoNAP. 



* Cyanoloxia parellina Bonap,, Consp. i, 1860, 502, Paseerina parellina RiDGW., Pr, U. S. Nat, Mus, iii. 

 1880, 182. 



