456 SYSTEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — PA SSERES — OSCIXES. 



das ; along the Mexican border shading into other varieties. A bird uf striking appearance 

 and brilliant vocal powers, resident and abundant from the Middle States southward; inhabits 

 thickets, tangle, and undergrowth of all kinds, whence issue its rich rolling whistling notes, 

 while the performer, brightly clad as he is, often eludes observation by his shyness, vigilance, 

 and activity. The nest, built loosely of bark-strips, twigs, leaves, and grasses, is placed in a 

 bush, vine, or low thick tree; eggs 1.00-1.10 X 0.70-0.80, profusely marked with browns, 

 from reddish to dark chocolate, with neutral tint in the shell, usually in fine dotting or mar- 

 bling pattern. Two or three broods are reared in the South. Like the Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak, the Cardinal is a fiivorite cage-bird. (C. virginianus of all former eds. of the Key; but 

 by the canons of the A. 0. U., in tlie formulation of which I took part, I am obliged to use 

 the miserable tautonymy of Cardinalis cardinalis, so offensive to literaiy good taste.) 

 C. c. florida'nus. FLORIDA Cardinal. Resident birds of Florida are attempted to be dis- 

 tinguished by somewhat brighter color by Ridgw. Man. 2d ed. 1896, p. 606. The alleged 

 distinction was denied by a majority of the A. 0. U. at Cambridge in Nov. 1896, and affirmed 

 by a majority of the same at Washington in December. Hence A. 0. U. Suppl. List, Auk, 

 Jan. 1897, p. 122, No. 593 d. 



C. c. canicau'dus. (Alleged Lat. for canicaudaUis, having a gray tail; Lat. ccmus, gray, 

 Cauda, tail.) Gray-tailed Cardinal. ^ like that of true cardinalis, but with a less con- 

 spicuous black frontlet, in this respect approaching superbus. 9 grayer than 9 cardinalis, 

 " and with the tail-feathers broadly margined with gray, instead of being narrowly edged with 

 olivaceous brown." This form seems to be of the " new woman " type, the 9 being more dis- 

 tinguished than the ^. Vicinity of Corpus Christi, Texas, and southward. C cardinalis 

 canieaudus Chapm. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. N. Y. iii, Aug. 1891, p. 324; A. O. U. List, 

 2d ed. 1895, No. 593 c. Included under cardinalis proper in all former eds. of the Key. 

 C. c. super'bus. (Lat. superhiis, proud, haughty.) Superb Cardinal. Arizona Car- 

 dinal. Like the next form, but larger, and 9 more richly colored. $ , wing 4.10 ; tail 5.00; 

 tarsns 1.05; bill along culmen 0.85, its depth at base 0.70: 9 smaller. S. Arizona and 

 N. W. Mexico. C c. superbus Ridgw. Auk, Oct. 1885, p. 344 ; A. 0. U. Lists, 1st and 2d 

 eds. 1886 and 1895, No. 593 a; C. r. superbus CouES, Key, 3d and 4th eds. 1887 and 1890, 

 p. 876. 



C. c. ig'neus (Lat. igneus, fiery.) Fiery-red Cardinal. St. Lucas Cardinal. Like 

 the typical form ; not redder, but if anything lighter red ; black mask narrowed on forehead, 

 or so interrupted there that the red reaches bill; crest inclining to light red, more like that of 

 belly than of back. Bill tending to swell, with more decidedly curved culmen. Tail rather 

 longer, on an average. Lower California, common. This form, described in 1859 by Baird 

 as a full species, was reduced to its proper subspecific grade in the Key, orig. ed. 1872; the 2d 

 ed. included superbus under the name o^ igneus from the valley of the Colorado and Gila, these 

 two forms being discriminated in the 3d ed. 1887. 



PI'PILO. (Lat. pipilo or jyipio, I pip, peep, chirp.) Towhee Buntings. Embracing 

 numerous species and subspecies of large Fringillidce, varying much in system of coloration 

 and details of form, and therefore not easy to characterize concisely. Excepting one species, all 

 are over seven inches long. Bill moderate in size, conic without extremes of turgidity or com- 

 pression, but varying much in precise shape with the species. Feet large and strong, fitted 

 for ground work ; tarsus about equalling or rather exceeding middle toe and claw; lateral toes 

 subequal, outer usually a little the longer, its claw reaching, in some cases exceeding, base of 

 middle claw ; claws all stout and much curved, in some species highly developed. Wings 

 short and greatly rounded ; 4th-5t]i primary longest, whence tlie quills are rapidly graduated 

 to 1st and 9th; 1st very short. Tail long, exceeding wings, rounded or much graduated, of 

 broad firm feathers with rounded ends. Large species, inhabiting shrubbery, and partly ter- 

 restrial. Tliey fall in two subgenera. I. Black Toivhees or Pipilo proper: of wliich the 



