BIRDS — FRINOILUDAE CARDIVALIS VIRGINIANUS. 509 



Tlie essential characters of this genus are the crested head ; very large and thick bill extend- 

 ing far back on the forehead, and only moderately curved above ; tarsus longer tliaii middle 

 toe ; much graduated wings, the first jiriniary equal to the secondary iiuills ; tliu long tail 

 exceeding tlie wings, broad and much gnidimtcd at the end. 



CARDINALIS VIRGINIANUS, B o u iv !> . 



Red Bird; Cnrdiiml. 



rocco(Arqii5(n rirginiono, Brisson, Orn. Ill, 17G0, Q53. 



Loxia eardinatis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, .1766, 300.— Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 38 ; pi. vi, f. 1, 2. 



Cotcothramtts cardinalia, Vieill. Did. 



Fringilla (Coccolhrausles) eardinatis, Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 79. 



Fringilla eardinatis, Nutt. Man. 1, 1S32, .519.— Add. Orn. liu,g. II, 1834, 336 : V, 514 ; pi. 1.VJ. 



Pilytus eardinatis, Afd. Syn. 1839, 131.— Ib. Birds Amcr. II!, 1841, 198 ; pi. 203. 



Cardinalis tirginianus, Bo.v. List, 1838. — Ib Consp. 1850, 5U1. 



Groibec dc y'irginii. Buff. PI. oul. 37. 



Sp. Cii. — A flaUoned crest of feathers on the crown. Bill red. Body generally bright vermilion red, darker on the back, 

 rump, and tail. Narrow band around tlie base of the bill, with chin and upper part of the throat black. 



Female of a duller red, and this only on the win^s, tail, and elongated featheis of the crown. Above light olive ; tinged 

 with yellowish on the head ; beneath brownish yellow, darkest on the sides and across the breast. Black about the head only 

 faintly indicated. 



Length, 8.50 ; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 4.50. 



Hab. — More southern portions of the United States to the Missouri. Probably along valley of Rio Grande to Uocky moun- 

 tains. 



The bill of this species is very large and shaped much like that of Gtdraca ludoviciana. 

 The central feathers of the crest of the crown are longer than tlie lateral ; thej' spring from 

 about the middle of the crown and extend back about an inch and a half from the base of the 

 bill. The wings are much rounded, the fourth longest, the second equal to the seventh, the 

 first as long as the secondaries. The tail is long, truncate at the end, but graduated on the 

 sides ; the feathers are broad to the end, truncated obliquely at the end. 



Some males, probably immature, have the vermilion replaced by a pale rose color, the back 

 strongly tinged with olivaceous. 



