FEMALE INDIGO FINCH. 279 



their works in relation to the present bird, since they may be ascer- 

 tained by consulting our list of synonymes. On comparing this list with 

 that furnished by Wilson, it will be seen tha-t the latter is very incom- 

 plete. Indeed, as regards synonymy, Wilson's work is not a little 

 deficient ; notAvithstanding which however it will be perpetuated as a 

 monument of original and faithful observation of nature, when piles of 

 pedantic compilations shall be forgotten. 



We refer our readers entirely to Wilson for the history of this very 

 social little bird, only reserving to ourselves the task of assigning its 

 true place in the system. As we have already mentioned in our " Ob- 

 servations," he was the first who placed it in the genus Fringilla (to 

 which it properly belongs), after it had been transferred from Tanagra 

 to Emberiza by former writers, some of whom had even described it 

 under both, in one and the same work. But although Wilson referred 

 this bird to its proper genus, yet he unaccountably permitted its closely 

 allied species the Fringilla ciris, to retain its station in Emberiza, being 

 tinder the erroneous impression that a large bill was characteristic of 

 that genus. This mistake however is excusable, when we consider that 

 almost all the North American birds which he found placed in it, through 

 the negligence or ignorance of his predecessors, are in fact distinguished 

 by large bills. 



The transfer of this species to the genus Fringilla, renders a change 

 necessary in the name of Loxia cyanea of Linnd, an African bird, now 

 a Fringilla of the subgenus Ooeeothraustes. The American bird belongs 

 to Spiza, and together with the Frii^gilla ciris, and the beautiful Frin- 

 gilla amoena, it may form a peculiar group, allied to Fringilla, Emberiza, 

 and Tanagra, but manifestly nearest the former. 



The adult male in full plumage having been described by Wilson, may 

 be omitted here. The female measures four inches and three-quarters 

 in length, and nearly seven in extent. The bill is small, compressed, 

 and less than half an inch long, is blackish above and pale horn color 

 beneath ; the irides are dark brown ; above she is uniformly of a some- 

 what glossy drab ; between the bill and eyes, and on the cheeks, throat, 

 and all the inferior parts, of a reddish clay color, much paler on the 

 belly, dingy on the breast, and strongly inclining to drab on the flanks, 

 blending into the color of the back, the shafts of the feathers being 

 darker, giving somewhat of a streaked appearance : the whole base of 

 the plumage is lead color ; the wings and tail are of a darker and less 

 glossy brown, each feather being edged with lighter, more extended on 

 the secondaries, and especially the wing-coverts ; the wings are two 

 inches and a half long, not reaching when folded beyond the tail- 

 coverts ; the first primary is subequal to the fourth, the second and third 

 being longest ; the three outer besides the first, are greatly attenuated on 

 the outer web half an inch from the point, where it is extremely nar 



