96 FRlNGILLID-ffi. 



3. Spermophila grisea. 



Gros-bec de Virginie, Daubent. PI. Enl. iv. pi. 393. fig. 1 *. 



Le Grisalbin, Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. iii. p. 467 (1775). 



Grey Grosbeak, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 1, p. 134 (1783). 



Loxia grisea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 857 (1788). 



Speruiophila grisea, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 386 (1844) ; Scl. Ibis, 1871, 



p. 18 ; id. $ Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 28 (1873) ; iid. P. Z. S. 



1879, p. 507 ; Salv. & Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, i. p. 356 



(1884) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1885, p. 215. 

 Sporopbila cinereola, Bp. Consp. i. p. 499 (1850;. 

 Sporophila intermedia, Cab. Mies. Hein. Th. i. p. 149 (1850). 

 Sperrnophila cinerea, Laivr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 474 (1861). 

 Spermophila plurubea, Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 103 (1862, nee 



Neuwied). 

 Sperrnophila intermedia, Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 103 (1862). 

 Spermophila schistacea, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 10 (1866). 

 Gyrinorhynchus griseus, Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 106, no. 7609 (1870). 



Adult male. General colour above dark slaty grey, a little tinged 

 with brown on the upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts like the 

 back ; median and greater coverts blackish, externally edged with 

 slaty grey, the latter slightly washed with brown ; bastard- wing, 

 primary-coverts, and quills black, edged with ashy grey, the secon- 

 daries more broadly, the inner primaries white at the base of the 

 outer web, forming an alar speculum, almost concealed by the primary- 

 coverts ; tail-feathers blackish, edged with ashy grey, the centre 

 feathers washed with ashy ; crown of head dark slaty grey ; lores 

 blackish ; sides of face and ear-coverts, cheeks, entire throat, and 

 sides of neck dark slaty grey, blackish on the base of the cheeks ; 

 fore neck, breast, and abdomen white ; sides of body and flanks dark 

 slaty grey ; thighs dark slaty grey ; under tail-coverts white ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries white, with a black patch near the edge 

 of the wing ; quills below dusky, edged with ashy along the inner 

 web, which is white towards the base. Total length 4*4 inches, 

 culmen 0'4, wing 2'5, tail 1*55, tarsus 0-5. 



In some of the males the grey colour of the throat extends over 

 the breast. 



Panama skins have the lower edge of the eyelid white, and an 

 ill-defined white patch on the sides of the neck ; the alar speculum 

 is very large, and the inner greater coverts are tipped with white. 

 The female is dark ashy washed with olive, grey below, with an 

 olive-yellow tinge ; centre of breast and abdomen white, tinged 

 with yellow. 



Were these characters constant, it would be necessary to keep 

 the Panama birds distinct, but they certainly are not, one specimen 

 being identical with Colombian and Guianan specimens, and another 



* This is the figure on which Grnelin founded his Loxia grisea. This spe- 

 cific name has been adopted by so many writers, and the species is so well 

 understood under its modern name of Spermophila grisea, that I do not intend 

 to alter it ; but the figure, if ever intended for the species, is as inaccurate as is 

 the locality. 



