FKINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES — PiriLO. 247 



Pipilo mesoleucus, Baird. 

 THE CANON FINCH. 



Pipilo mesoleucus, Baird, Pr. Ac. N. Sc. VII. 18r)4, 119. In. Birds Amcr. 1858, .'518 ; pi. 

 xxix. — Codes, Pr. A. N. Sc. 1866, 90. 



Sr. Char. Above, olivaceoii,s-brown, with a grayish tinge ; hood dull chestnut, con- 

 spicuously different from the back. Sides beyond the edge of the wing like the back, but 

 paler ; posteriorly, and about the vent and under tail coverts, pale brownish-red. The 

 ashy olive-brown of the sides scarcely meets across the breast, the lower portion of 



which, with the upper belly, is rather pure white. The chin, throat, and upper part of 

 tlie breast pale yellowish-rufous, spotted on the sides and across the 'breast with brown; 

 an obscure spot in the middle of the breast ; edge of outer primary white. Length, 8.50 ; 

 wing, 3.80 ; tail, 4.70. 



Ilab. Valley of Ujiper Rio Grande, and across to Gila River. East to Santa Caterina, 

 New Leon. 



This species is similar in general appearance to the F. ft'sciis, but tlie 

 olive-brown and rufous are both of a lighter shade. The crown is of a de- 

 cided chestnut, conspicuously different from the back, instead of nearly the 

 same tint. The light reddish under the head is wider throughout, and ex- 

 tends down to the upper part of the breast, blending with the colors of the 

 breast and belly, instead of being narrower, more sharply defined, and re- 

 stricted to the chin and throat. The isolated larger spot on the breast is 

 more conspicuous ; the breast and belly are quite pure white, shaded witli 

 obsolete brownish blotches, instead of being uniform grayish-brown, with 

 only an approach to whitish in the very middle. The edges of the 

 wing and tail feathers are a good deal lighter, the outer web of the first 

 primary being sharply edged with pure white, instead of obscure grayish- 

 brown. The size generally is rather smaller. 



