FRI^GILLID.^: FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROJCS. 



449 



as pure yellow. Upper parts dark brown with an olive shade, varied with whitish or brownisli- 

 whit'j; liead blackish with white or brownish coronal and superciliary stripes. Wings dusky 

 marked as in ^, but basal white spot on priniai'ies restricted ; tail as in J', but the M-hite spots 

 reduced or obsolete. Bill light-colored below. In ^ the tendency is to perfectly black head, 

 back, tail, and wings, the two former pure and continuous, the two latter boldly spotted with 

 white as described ; but such faultless full dress is not often seen. This stylish western repre- 

 sentative of the elegant Rose-breast is common in suitable woodland. Plains to the Pacific, U. S., 

 and adjoining British Provinces, wintering in Mexico and portions of Lower California, breed- 

 ing throughout its U. S. and Brit. Am. range; its habits are similar. Nest in trees of various 

 kinds, often willows, up to 20 feet from ground ; a flimsy structure, on a foundation of weed- 

 stalks, openworked with grass and rootlets, 4.50-5.50 in outside diameter, 3.00 inside, cupped 

 1.00; eggs 2-5, usually 3-4, averaging 1.00 X 0.70, moderately variable in size, fugacious 

 greenish-blue, speckled, spotted, and blotched with reddish and darker brown, with lavender 

 shell spots, mostly laid in May; both sexes incnbate. There is a nearer relationship between 

 the Song Grosbeaks and the Evening Grosbeak than would appear from the distance apart of 

 their respective genera in the present book ; but I hesitate to 

 remove Hef^peripliona from the place it has always occupied 

 in tlie Key. 



OUIRA'CA. [Vox barb., Mexican or S. Am. name of some 

 bird. Fig. .306.) Blue Grosbeaks. Bill with commissure 

 strongly angulated far beyond base, with deep under mandible 

 and bristly rictus as in Zamelodia, but not so swollen, the 

 culmen nearly straight. Wings long and pointed, folding 

 about to middle of tail ; tip formed by 2d-4th quills, 1st little 

 shorter, 5th rapidly graduated. Tail shorter than wings, 

 even. Tarsus rather less than middle toe and claw; outer 

 lateral toe slightly longer than inner, but scarcely reacliing 

 base of middle claw. One species, large, ^ blue, 9 brown. 



<i. coeru'lea. (Lat. ccerulea, cerulean. Fig. 307.) Blue Grosbeak. Adult $: Eicli dark 

 l)lue, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish across middle of back; feathers around base of 

 bill, wings, and tail black ; middle and greater wing-coverts tipped with chestnut ; bill dark 

 h.M-n-blue, paler below; feet blackish. Length fi 50-7.00; extent 10..50-11.00; wing 3.30- 



3.00; tail 2.7.5-3.00; bill 0.60-0.07; 

 tarsus 0.75 ; middle toe and claw rather 

 more. 9 smaller, plain warm brown 

 above, paler and rather tiaxen-browu 

 below, sometimes whitey-brown on 

 tliroat and belly, or with slight streaks 

 on belly and crissum ; wings and tail 

 fuscous, sometimes sliglitly bluish- 

 glossed or edged, fiinncr witli whitey- 

 brown cross-bars : bill and t'cet brown. 

 Young (J at first like 9 '• when cliang- 

 ing, shows confused bmwn and blue; 

 afterward, blue interrupted with white 

 below. Eastern U. S., but southerly; 

 rarely N. to Massachusetts, and even 

 Maine ; winters wholly extralimital in 

 Its limit of Tiorthward migration with 

 regularity and in any numbers is about the latitude of Philadelphia, in the Atlantic States, 



W^ 



V>N 



Fio. 3(17. — Blue Grosbeak, reduced. (Slieppard del. Nichols sc.) 

 Cuba and Mexico; breeds throughout its V . S. range. 



