^RINGILLWJE: FINCHES, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS. 



451 



hind neck and middle of back similar, but more obscured; fore part of crown purplish-red; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts purplish-blue; below, from breast, and wings and tail, dusky, 

 tinged or glossed with purplish ; concealed white in feathers of side of rump ; lores and circum- 

 rostral feathers black. Bill horn-bluish, paler below, stouter than iu other species, with very 

 convex culnien and concave cutting edge of upper mandible. Feet dark. The versicoloration 

 is difficult to describe ; the general aspect is that of a purplish-dusky bird, redder or bluer here 

 and theie. Size of the others. 9 plain brown above, whitey-brown below, like amcena and 

 cyanea; no whitish wing-bars ; no black stripe on gonys; concealed white on sides of rump. 

 Eastern Mexico, S. to Guatemala, N. to U. S. border, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, where 

 common in some localities ; accidental in Michigan. Eggs 0.78 X 0.58, plain bluish-white, 

 like those of the Indigo-bird. 



C V. pul'chra. (Lat. pulcher (masc.) or pulchra (fem.), beautiful.) Peninsula Painted 

 Finch. Beautiful Bunting. Like the last; wings and tail said to be shorter; wing 

 about 2.50; tail 2.20; ^ said to have the '' red on occiput brighter, purple on throat less red- 

 dish (never decidedly red?), flanks brighter plum-purple, and rump more purplish-blue or 

 lavender." Lower Calif(jrnia and western Mexico. Ridgw. Man. 1887, p. 448 ; Coues, 

 Key, 4th ed. 1890, p. 900; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 600 a. 



C. amoe'iia. (Lat. a>n«Ma, delightful, charming, dressy.) Lazuli Painted Finch. Adult (^: 

 Head and neck all around, entire upper parts, and lining of wings, rich azure or lapis-lazuli 

 blue, more or less obscured on middle of back ; lores black. Below, from the blue neck, chest- 

 nut-brown, changing to white on belly and crissum. A firm white wing-bar across ends of 

 median coverts, and usually another weaker one across tips of greater coverts. Wings and tail 

 dusky, glossed with blue. Bill and feet bluish -black. Length 5.25-5.50; extent 8.00-8.50; 

 wing 2.75-3.00; tail 2.25-2.50; bill 0.37; tarsus 0.65. Adult 9 : Above, flaxen-brown, nearly 

 uniform, but with slightly darker centres of the feathers, and sometimes ;•. faint bluish gloss. 

 Below, bufly or brownish-white, most colored on breast, palest on throat and belly. Wings 

 and tail fuscous, with faint bluish edgings usually, crossed with two decided brownish-white 

 bars, — the chief distinction from 'i cyanea. Young (^: Like 9; when changing, patched 

 with brown and blue ; when very young, ^ 9 somewhat streaky, especially on under parts. 

 Replacing cyanea from the Plains to the Pacific, U. S. and interior of British Columbia, S. 

 into Mexico ; common iu suitable places ; habits, nest, and eggs the same. 

 C. cya'nea. (Lat. cyanea, Gr. Kvavfos, kuaneos, dark blue. Fig. 308.) Indigo Painted 

 Finch. Indigo-bird. Adult (J : Indigo-blue, intense and constant on head, glancing green- 

 ish with difi"erent lights on other parts ; 

 wings and tail blackish, glossed with 

 greenish-blue ; feathers around base of 

 bill black ; bill dark above, rather paler 

 below, with a curious black stripe along 

 gonys. 9 • Above, plain warm brown, 

 below whitey-brown, obsoletely streaky 

 on breast and sides ; wing-coverts and 

 inner quills palo-edged, but not whitish ; 

 no whitish wing-bars ; upper mandible 

 blackish, lower i)ale, with the black 

 stripe just mentioned, — this is a pretty 

 constant feature, and will distinguish the 

 species from any of our Eastern little 

 brown birds. Young $ : Like 9 , but 

 soon shows blue traces, and afterward is blue with white variegation below. Size of the fore- 

 going. Eastern U. S., N. t(j Maine and some parts of Canada; W. to Kansas, Indian Terri- 



Indigo-bird, reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) 



