468 



FRINGILLID3;. 



Subfamily III. EMBERIZIN.E. 



The following "Key" to the genera of Buntings is more artificial 

 than natural, for the characters occur and recur in different sections, 

 so as to separate considerably genera, the near relations of which are 

 obvious. Thus it happens that an arrangement in natural order, 

 according to characters, has proved impossible ; but at the same time 

 I believe that some of the genera have been brought into their natural 

 proximity for the first time, while I have made use of the pattern of 

 coloration as a character of considerable value in some Buntings. 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Hind claw never longer than the hind toe. 



a. Tail longer than the wing, and generally 



strongly graduated. 



a. Bill slender ; the depth of the bill at 



nostrils not so great as the length of 



the hind claw. 



a". Bill short, the tarsus twice the 



length of the culnien ; nostril 



operculated ; with rose-colour on 



the breast and tail 51. 



b' 1 . Bill longer, the culmen more than 

 half the lenjrth of the nostril ; no 

 red in the plumage. 

 a'". Centre tail-feathers acuminate 83. 

 b'". Centre tail-feathers rounded at 

 the ends. 

 «*. Hind claw much shorter than 



hind toe 82. 



b*. Hind claw very large, almost 



equal to the hind toe 77. 



b'. Bill stouter, the depth of the hill at 

 nostrils greater than the length of 

 the hind claw. 



c". Tail-feathers acuminate 84. 



d". Tail-feathers rounded at the ends 



of the inner web. 



c'". Bill nearly straight from the 



nostrils to the tip ; claws stout 



and little curved. 



c 4 . Middle claw blunt like the hind 



claw, which it about equals 80. 

 d i . Middle claw less than the hind 



claw 81. 



d"\ Bill curved from the nostrils to 

 the tip of the culmen ; claws 

 stout and greatly curved .... 79. 



b. Wing longer than the tail, or equal to it. 

 c'. Wing and tail nparly equal in length, 



the wing not exceeding the tail by 

 more than the length of the culmen. 



Urocynchramus, 



[p. 472. 



Coryphospiza, p. 765. 



Embernagra, p. 757. 

 Cham^eospiza, p. 730. 



Emberizoides, p. 768. 



Atlapetes, p. 738. 

 Pipilo, p. 740. 



SALTATRICULA,p. 737. 



