40 Mr. P. L. Sclater's Revision of the 



The generic name Sicalis (emend. Sycalis = avKa\L<i, Aris- 

 toph.) was proposed by Boie (Isis, 1828, p. 324) for four birds, 

 Fringilla magellanica, Gni., Emberiza brasiliensis, Gm.*, Frin- 

 gilla lepida, Gm., and F. butyracea, Gm. Three of these 

 having become types of other genera, Cabanis, in 1845—46 

 (Tschudi^s Fauna Peruana, Aves, p. 215), proposed to restrict the 

 term Sycalis to the second species and its allies. 



The little genus of Finches thus designated is quite distinct 

 from every other Neotropical form, but comes very close to the 

 African Crithagrop, and is perhaps, indeed, hardly separable in 

 strictness, though it is convenient to have another name for the 

 South-American group. 



The nine species of this genus which I have had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining may be divided into two sections — the first 

 of which are smaller in size, and have the bill proportionately 

 shorter and smaller, while the second contains a group of An- 

 dean birds of rather larger dimensions, and having a larger and 

 longer bill. 



The subjoined Table may assist in the somewhat difficult task 

 of distinguishing the first nine species of Sycalis. The tenth 

 species [S. citrina), which I am not autoptically acquainted 

 with, seems to stand alone in having the external rectrices 

 spotted with white. 



A. Minores : rostro breviore. 



a. Species pileo flavo : macula frontem totam amplectente aurantiaca : 



a. reniigum marg. int. aureo-flavis. 



major, fronte Isete aurantiaca '. . . . 1. flaveola, 



minor, fronte ma^is flava 2. pelzelni. 



b'. remigum marg. int. albidis 3. Columbiana. 



b. Species pileo striato : mac. front, utrinque flava : 



major 4. lirteola. 



minor 6. chrijsops. 



B. Majores : rostro elongatiore. 

 a. remigum marginibus externis flavissimis : 



dorso toto flavo G. lutea. 



dorso toto fusco 7. luteocephala. 



h. remigum et rectricum marginibus griseis : 



genis flavis : uropygio olivaoeo 8. %a-opygialis. 



genis canis : uropygio olivaceo 9. aureiientris. 



• Boie writes Frinf/Ula brasiliensis, Gm., which is, no doubt, an over- 

 eight, as Gmelin places the bird in Emberiza (Syst. Nat. p. 872). 



