FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES — PYRRHULOXIA. 237 



paler. Long crest feathers, bill all round, including lores and encircling the eye, wing 

 and tail, dark crimson. Chin and upper part of throat, breast, and median line of the 

 belly, under tail covers, tibi*, edge and inner coverts of the wings, bright carmine red. 

 Bill yellowish. 



Female similar, with the under part brownish-yellow; middle of belly and throat only 

 tinged with red. Length about 8.50 ; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 4.50. 



Hub. Valley of the Rio Grande of Texas. Southern Arizona and Cape St. Lucas. 



TliLs beautiful bird is said to have much of tlie habits of the common 

 cardinal of the Eastern States, and the nest and eggs are scarcely distin- 

 guishable. It appears to be very common along the Lower Eio Grande, but 

 was observed by Dr. Heermann only once or twice westward of that river, 

 though common in Mexico and at Cape St. Lucas. L)r. Coues does not 

 mention in his " Prodromus " the authority for its occurrence at Fort Yuma, 

 where none of the government collectors seem to have found it, but strag- 

 glers might reach there Ijy way of the Gila Itiver, deserts intervening be- 

 tween the fort and the wooded portions of the peninsula toward the south- 

 west. 



Captain J. 1'. jMcCown (in Cassin's Illustrations) mentions it as a gay, 

 sprightly bird, frequenting damp bushy woods, generally in small flocks ; its 

 voice resembling that of the Virginian cardinal, which utters a loud, clear 

 whistled note repeated several times, and varied on different occasions. 

 Our Canada jay has at times a similar whistle. It is said to be itsually very 

 shy, as are the males of all these brilliant songsters. The nest and eggs are 

 yet undescribed. 



There does not seem to be more difference between this bird and Cardi- 

 iialis than between Carpoclacm frontalis and C. imrpurcus, etc., which are 

 considered of the same genus. 



C. Virginianus. 



