374 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSERES—OSCINES. 



readily perceived. It is therefore best to waive the question, and simply collocate the genera in 

 orderly sequence. 



Fringillidce are popularly known by several different names. Here belong all the Spar- 

 roivs, with the allied birds called Finches, Buntings, Linnets, Grosbeaks, and Crossbills. 

 The species and subspecies ascertained to occur within our limits are mostly well deter- 

 mined, although the number of genera to which they are customarily referred is, I think, 

 altogether too large. Three of them, Carduelis carduelis, Passer domesUcus, and P. vion- 

 taniis, are imported and naturalized. Species occur throughout our country, in every sit- 

 uation, and many of them are among our most abundant and familiar birds. They are all 

 granivorous — seed-eaters, but many feed extensively ou buds, fruits, and other soft vege- 

 table substances, as well as on insects. They are uot so perfectly migratory as the exclu- 

 sively insectivorous birds, the nature of whose food requires prompt removal at the approach 

 of cold weather; but, with some exceptions, they witlulraw in the fall from their breeding 

 places to spend the winter farther south, and to return in the spring. "With a few signal 

 exceptions, they are uot truly gregarious birds, though they often associate in large companies, 

 assembled in community of interest. The modes of nesting are too various to be here summa- 

 rized. Nearly all the Finches sing, with varying ability and effect ; some of them are among 

 our most delightful vocalists. As a rule, they are plainly clad — even meanly, in comparison 

 with some of our sylvau beauties ; but among them are birds of elegant and striking colors. 

 Among the highly-colored ones, the sexes are more or less unlike, and other changes, with age 

 and season, are strongly marked ; the reverse is the case with the rest. 



The unpractised student will have more trouble with this family than elsewhere in identi- 

 fying his specimens. In the first place, the genera and species are very numerous, and so vari- 

 ously interrelated that no satisfactory subfamilies have been established ; they are thereft)re 

 not parcelled out in sets. Secondly, all the genera cannot be discriminated in a line of type. 

 To meet the difficulty, I have caused the family to be profusely illustrated with cuts of more 

 than average excellence, and have attempted a tabular analysis of the genera, which, though 

 necessarily defective, will doubtless help to some extent. Speaking roundly, there are three lots 

 of genera : («) Loxiine, mostly boreal birds, sexed unlike, ^ often red, 9 dull, no blue, colors 

 massed or streaky, bill usually ruffed at base, wings pointed, tail forked, feet weak ; (&) Sjyi- 

 zelUne, everywhere, mostly small streaked and spotted species, sexed alike, may be yellowed 

 but are never red or blue, wings, tail, and feet various ; (c) Spizine, mostly southerly, sexed 

 unlike, $ often red or blue, bill unruffed, wings, tail, and feet various ; — but nothing will 

 serve to distinguish these groups unexceptionally, and I therefore refrain from presenting them 

 formally as subfamilies. The British Museum Catalogue of 1888 arranges tlie Fringillidce of 

 the world in .3 subfamilies (Coccothraustinee, FringillincB, and Emherizince, or Grosbeaks, 

 Finches proper, and Buntings), with 99 genera and about 575 species or subspecies. 



Analysis {partial) of Fringilline Genera. 



Bill inetagnalhous, both mandibles falcate, their points crossed, ^f red, $ dark and yellowish Loxia 



Bill enormous, nearly =: tarsus, greenish-yellow. Wings black and white ; tail and tibiie black. (Western.) 



Hesperiphona 

 Bill parrot-like, ichitisli. Head conspicuously crested. (^ $ gray and carmine, face not black. Length 7..')l) or 



more. (S. W. U. S.) Ptjrrlmloiia 



Bill reddish. Head conspicuously crested. ^ vermilion, face black. $ gray and reddish. Length 7.50 or more. 



(E. and S. U. S.) Cardinalis 



Bill with a ruff, or pair of nasal tufis, of antrorse plumules, at base of upper mandible. 



Length S.OO or more, cf red and gray, $ gray and yellowish, uncrested. Bill liirgid, hooked. (Boreal.) 



Pinirnla 

 — under 8.00. — 5Z!(uA-£rray, below reddish-gray, crown, wings, and tail black. (Alaska.) . . Pi/rrhida 



— White, with black on back, wings, and tail ; or washed with clear brown. (Boreal.) 



Passerina 



— Chocolate-brown, unstreaked, with rosy edgings ; black or clear ash on head. (Western.) 



Lencosticte 



