346 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS — PA SSERES— OSCINES. 



05. CARPO'DACUS. (Gr. Kapnos, karpos, fruit ; BaKos, dakos, biting.) Purple Bullfinches. 

 Bill smaller aud less turgid thau iu Pinicola or Pyrrhula, more regularly conic and more acute; 

 sides convex in all directions, but with distinct ridge prolonged in a point on forehead where ■ 

 not concealed by the antiae, its outline moderately curved ; com- 



^ missure decidedly angulated, about sti*aight before and behind the 



r J ^M^^^k l^ewd ; gonys quite straight. Nasal ruff little developed, barely 

 concealing tlie slight nasal fossae, thence falling over sides of bill, 

 but discontinuous across culmen. Wings long and pointed, fold- 

 ing half-way to end of tail or farther, pointed by first 3 or 4 quills. 

 Tail much shorter than wings, considerably forked, with rather 

 Fig. 210. — Bill of Purple narrow feathers ; both sets of coverts reaching more than half- 

 ' ' ' way to end. Feet small and weak ; tarsus shorter than middle 



toe ; lateral toes subequal, outer rather longer than inner, their claws reaching base of middle 

 claw. Sexes unlike. ^ extensively red of some shade, 9 streaky brown and white. Head 

 \nth erectile feathers, but not fairly crested. A beautiful genus, of several species of New and 

 Old World. 



Analysis of Species [(f). 

 Bill conic-acute, with scarcely convex culmen ; edgings of wing- and tail-feathers reddish. 



Large : length 6 50-7.00 ; bill at least 0.50 along culmen. Under tail-coverts streaked with dusky centres 

 of the feathers. Crimson crown well distinguished from merely reddish-brown back. (Soothwestem 



U. S.) cassini 195 



Medium: length 5.75-6.25; bill not 0.50 along culmen. Under tail-coverts scarcely or no; streaked. 



Crimson of crown not well distinguished from that of back. (U.S.) ourpureus 104 



Bill conoid-obtuse, with very convex culmen. Edgings of wing- and tail-feathers whitish. 



Small : length scarcely 6.00 ; hill about 0.40 along culmen. Front, line over eye, rump and throat red, 

 more or less contrasting with brown or white of other parts. 



Red pretty definitely restricted to the areas said (Southwestern U.S.) frontalis 196 



Red spreading over other parts (Californian coast) rhodocolpus 197 



C. purpu'reus. (Lat. pnrpureus, purple. Figs. 210, 211.) Purple Finch (better Crim- 

 son Finch.) Adult ^ : Rose-red, paler below, insensibly whitening on belly and crissum, 

 brightest anteriorly, intensified to crimson on crown, darker and more brownish-red on back, 

 where also streaked with dark brown. Wings and tail 

 dusky, the quills edged aud coverts tipped with brownish- 

 red. Lores and feathers about base of bill hoary-whitish. 

 Bill and feet brown, the under mandible rather paler. 

 Length 6.00-6.25; extent 10.00-10.60; wing 3.00-3.25; 

 tail 2.25-2.50 ; tarsus 0.62; middle toe and claw 0.87 ; bill --"^ ■ ^'' 



under 0.50. The shade of red is very variable, almost any- 

 thing but puii^lish — according to season, and age and ^^iJ^MBMB?^ - .^ 

 vieor of the individual. In high feather, the crown is -^^ 

 richer crimson than any other part, but does not form a 

 definite cap. The auriculars are dusky, and there is an 

 appreciably light rosy stripe over them. Younger $ ^ 



have frequently a bronzy shade. 9 and young : Oliva- ^j^^t^tptiil^^N " 

 ceous-brown, more clearly olivaceous on rump, everywhere ^^ "^ 



streaked with dusky. Below, white, marked everywhere 



except on throat, belly, and crissum with streaks and Fig. 211. -Purple Finch, j, reduced, 

 arrow-heads of dusky olive-brown; the latter pretty (Sheppard del. Nichols, sc.) 

 evenly distributed on breast, former the same on sides, on the sides of neck and throat con- 

 fluent and gathered into a maxillary series running up to the bill, separated by a poorly- 

 defined wliitish area from the oHve-brown auriculars, over which is a whitish postocular 

 streak. Wings and tail as in ^, but the edgings plain brovra. Length 5.70-5.90; extent 



