390 



SYSTEM A TIG SYNOPSIS. — PA SSERES — OSCINES. 



Fig. 251. —Bill of Guiraca, nat. 

 e. (Ad nat. del. E.G.) 



$, but the white spots reduced or obsolete. Bill light-colored below. In the $ the ten- 

 dency is to perfectly black head, back, tail, and wings, the two former pure and continuous, 

 the two latter boldly spotted with white as described ; but such faultless full dress is not often 

 seen. This stylish Western representative of the elegant rose-breast is common in suitable 

 woodland from the Plains to the Pacific, U. S., wintering in Mexico, breeding throughout its 

 U. S. range ; its habits are the same ; its nest and eggs are 

 indistinguishable. 



90. GUIRA'CA. {Vox barb., Mex. or S. Am. name of some 

 bird. Fig. 251) Blue Grosbeaks. Bill with commissure 

 strongly augulated far bey<rad base, with deep under mandible 

 and bristly rictus as in Zamelodia, but not so swollen, the cul- 

 men nearly straight. Wings long and })ointed, folding about 

 the middle of the tail ; tip formed by tlie 2d-4th quills, 1st 

 little shorter, 5th rapidly graduated. Tail shorter than wings, 

 even. Tarsus rather less than middle toe and claw; outer 

 lateral toe slightly longer than the inner, but scarcely reaching 

 base of middle claw. One species, large, $ blue, 9 brown. 



391. Cr. coeru'lea. (Lat. coerulea, cerulean. Fig. 252.) Blue Grosbeak. Adult $ : Rich dark 

 l)lne, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish across middle of back ; feathers around base of bill, 

 wings and tail, black; middle and greater wing-coverts tipped with chestnut; bill dark horn- 

 blue, paler below ; feet blackish. Length 6.50-7-00; extent 10.50-11.00; wing 3.30-3.60; tail 

 2.75-3.00 ; bill 0.60-0.67 ; tarsus 0.75 ; middle toe and claw rather more. 9 smaller, plain 

 warm brown above, paler and rather flaxen-brown below, sometimes whitey-bro\A'Ti on throat 



and belly, or with slight streaks on 

 belly and crissum ; wings and tail fus- 

 cous, sometimes slightly bluish-glossed 

 or edged, the former with whitey-brown 

 cross-bars ; bill and feet brown. Young 

 (J at first like 9 ; when changing, 

 shows confused brown and blue ; after- 

 ward, blue interrupted with white be- 

 low. U. S., from Atlantic to Pacific, 

 but southerly ; rarely N. to Massachu- 

 setts, and even Maine ; wdnters wholly 

 extralimital ; breeds throughout its U. S. 

 range. Its limit of northward migra- 

 tion with regularity and in any numbers 

 is about the latitude of Philadelphia. 

 Fig. 252. — Blue Grosbeak, reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) Nest in bushes, vines or other shrub- 

 bery, sometimes a low tree, of grasses and rootlets; eggs 4-5, averaging 0.90 X 0.65, palest 

 bluish, normally unspotted ; quite like those of the indigo-bird, but larger. 



91. PASSERI'NA. (Lat. ^Mssmwws, sparrow-like : not well applied to these " matchless ones.") 

 Painted Finches. Bill relatively smaller and weaker than in the last, with less conspicuous 

 angulation, the culmen regularly a little convex, the gonys nearly straight. Outer 4 primaries 

 longest ; 1st usually between 4th and 5th, the latter much shorter. Tail little shorter than wing, 

 about even or emarginate. Feet moderate ; tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw ; 

 lateral toes about equal to each other, their claws falUng short of base of middle claw. 

 Embracing several elegant finches of small size; the males of very showy hues, especially 

 blue, but also red, purple, yellow, and green, usually in masses; the females of simple and 

 tasteful greenish or brownish shades. 



