THE DESERT BULLFINCH 



OR 



TRUMPETER FINCH 



Erythrospiza githaginea 



General Plumage — Sandy-grey, darker on wings, the larger 

 feathers of which are edged with bright pink ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts bright pink, under-parts all creamy pink 

 with the ends of the feathers carmine, beak large and bright 

 red, legs pinkish flesh-colour, eyes brown. Total length, 5 

 inches. 



The above description, as are all these descriptions, 

 is of the adult male bird in full plumage, but 

 the reader must remember that this full, brilliant 

 plumage is generally worn only during the spring 

 months, and that if any bird is observed in 

 November or December, it naturally will not be 

 then wearing its wedding - garment. This is 

 especially true of the present species ; in the 

 winter months it is a quiet-coloured little bird, 

 hardly to be noticed as it hops about on the cleared 

 ground, to which its colour is very similar, its red 

 beak alone showing brightly ; and it is only in 

 January that it begins to show any alteration, and 



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