362 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSEBES — OSCINES. 



206. L. arcto'a. (Gr. dpKraos, arktoios, northern.) Pallas's Rosy Finch. Dusky-purplish ; 

 neck above pale yellowish ; forehead and nasal featliers hlackish ; outer webs of quills and 

 wing-coverts, tail-coverts, rump and crissum silvery-gray, rosy-margined. Kurile and Aleu- 

 tian Islands; Siberia. Subgenerically different from any of the foregoing. 



68. ^gEGI'OTHUS. (Gr. Alyiodos, nom. propr. Fig. 216.) Red-poll Linnets. Bill small, 

 short, straight, very acute, more or less compressed, the lateral outlines usually a little concave, 

 those of culmen and gonys straight ; commissure straight to the slight angulation. Base of biU 

 thickly beset with a ruff of antrorse plumules, concealing the small nasal fossae and round 

 nostrils. Wings longer than tail, pointed by first 3 primaries. 

 Tail rather long for this group, forked. Feet small and weak, 

 but tarsi longer than middle toe without claw ; lateral toes of 

 equal lengths, their claw-tips falling beyond base of middle claw. 

 Hind claw much longer, stouter and more curved than the mid- 

 dle, exceeding its digit in length. Size small ; plumage streaky 

 with dusky, white, and flaxen colors, crown crimson, face and 

 throat blackish ; sexes otherwise dissimilar ; ^ with rosy or 

 carmine on breast, wanting in 9 • Scarcely different from Linota 

 {flavirostris, etc.) the pattern of coloration being the most avail- 

 able distinction. Arboreal, gregarious, highly boreal finches of 

 circumpolar distribution, breeding in high latitudes and alpine 



regions, roving south in winter in great flocks. The species are ^^^ gic —Details of ^ lo- 



much involved ; we have four recognizable forms. thus {^. homemanni, nat. size). 



(From Elliot.) 

 Analysis of Species. 



Tarsus as long as middle toe and claw. Heavily streaked below. Rump always fully streaked. 



Smaller: length about 5.50; wing 3.00; bill moderate (N. Am. at large) linaria 207 



Larger: length about G. 00; wing 3.25; bill immoderate (Canada, etc.) holhoelli 208 



Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw. Lightly or scarcely streaked below. Rump of adult (J immacu- 

 late white to some extent. 

 Smaller: length about 5.50; wing 3.00. Bill and feet small (Brit. Am., scarcely U. S.) . . . exilipes 210 

 Larger: length about 6.00 ; wing 3.30. Bill and feet largo (Greeidand) homemanni 209 



207. -^- lina'ria. (Lat. linaria, flaxen ; a linnet. Fig. 217.) Common Red-poll. Adult J : 

 Frontlet, lores, and throat-spot sooty-black. Crown crimson. Above, variegated with brown- 

 ish-yellow and dusky, the feathers having dark 

 centres and flaxen edges. Rump streaked with 

 dusky and white, and tinged with rosy, more or 



^^^V less so according to age and season. Below, 



^"^IKjSSV white, the sides and crissum streaked with dusky, 



the entire fore-parts colored with rose-red more 



l\ or less rich and extensive according to same cir- 



X ■^^iSSs^XKiSigr J-'- cumstances. Wings and tail dusky, the feathers 



^^^^^^^ edged with whitish, the middle and greater 



^1 .^ '^^^^'>^r~' — ^^S[f>n, coverts tipped with the same, forming two cross- 



y/ ^^^^ ^!/^* bars. Bill black or yellow, usually found yel- 



^/^^^--j ''"' low vrith dusky tip and edges. Feet blackish. 



Length 5.50; extent 9.00; wing 3.00; tail 



,vH(!^ X 2.50; bill 0.33; tarsus 0.65; middle toe and 



claw the same. Adult 9 = Wanting entirely 



or having but a trace of rosy on the rump and 



Fig. 217. -Common Red-poll, reduced. (Shep- under parts. Breast with a dingy yellowish wash, 



parddeL Nichols 80.) Streaked with dusky. Slightly smaller. Young: 



Like 9 ) but the ^ soon showing rosy. Young may usually be distinguished from the adult 9 by 



