1. GEOSPIZA. 7 



colouriug of all the species of this genus exhibits three styles — a 

 black, a brown, and a grey. This is the case both in male and 

 female birds, except that the plumage of the females is of a dirty 

 brownish colour, whereas in the males it is black. It woidd seem 

 reasonable to divide each species into three varieties, as besides the 

 plumage the colour of the feet, as well as of the beaks, is different 

 in these three varieties. The colour of the feet varies from a light 

 grey to black, and that of the beak from yellow to brownish black." 



Mr. Salvin's opinion is as follows (I. c. p. 478) : — " The different 

 states of plumage, on which Dr. Habel remarks, are to be attributed to 

 the different ages of individuals. The younger birds are the lightest- 

 coloured and present the most mottled appearance ; as they get 

 older they become darker, until at last in old males the plumage is 

 almost uniform black. The colour of the bill appears to vary irre- 

 spective of age, as some black birds have light-coloured bills, though 

 in the majority of birds in this dress it is black. Younger mottled 

 birds have light-coloured bills, but in old females, just as in the 

 males, the bill is usually black." 



1. Geospiza magnirostris. 



Geospiza magnirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 5 ; Darn-in, Voy. 

 'Beagle, Bin/*, p. 100, pi, xxxvi. (1841); Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 369 

 (1844) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. o42 (18o0) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 88, 

 no. 72U7 (1870) ; Scl. et Solo. Nomend. Av. Neotr. p. 27 (1873) 

 Saloin, Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 479 (187G). 



Adult male. Entirely black above and below ; quills and tail- 

 feathers blackish brown ; under tail-coverts black, broadly edged 

 and tipped with white. Total length 5 - 2 inches, culmen 1, wing 

 3"55, tail 2*1, tarsus 1. 



In what I take to be the seasonal plumaije a browner shade pervades 

 the black, the feathers having edges of obscure brown ; these pale 

 edges are lighter and more conspicuous on the abdomen ; under tail- 

 coverts white with black bases. 



Adult female. Different from the male ; general colour above 

 brown, the feathers edged with ashy olive, especially on the rump 

 and upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts like the back, edged with pale 

 ashy, the greater coverts whiter on the margins ; bastard- wiug, 

 primary. coverts, and quills dark brown, edged with pale ashy, 

 clearer whity brown on the margins of the primaries ; tail-feathers 

 pale brown, with ashy-brown margins ; crown of head rather darker 

 than the back, blackish, with slightly indicated pale edges to the 

 feathers ; lores, sides of face, and ear- coverts ashy olive-brown, 

 darker brown along the upper edgo of the latter ; cheeks a little 

 darker brown ; throat dark brown, streaked with ashy margins to 

 the feathers ; remainder of under surface whity brown with a slight 

 olive tinge, the fore neck and chest streaked with dark-brown centres 

 to the feathers ; the sides of body and flanks brown, also streaked 

 with darker brown ; thighs and under tail-coverts, under wing- 

 coverts, and axillaries whity brown, slightly tinged with olivo: 



