BIRDS — FRINGILLIDAE — GUIRACA CAEBULEA. 



499 



The female is readily distinguishable from tliat of G. ludoviciana by the shade of light 

 cianamon brown beneath, without streaks or spots, (or else very obsolete,) and the existence of 

 the same color on the back. The tail is more olive green, and the quills are white at their 

 bases. An unmistakeable character is found in the under wing coverts and axillaries, which, 

 in the female ludoviciana, are saffron or orange yellow instead of the clear lemon or gamboge 

 yellow of melanocephala. 



List of specimens. 



GUIEACA CAEKULEA, Swainson. 



Blue Grosbeak. 



Loxia caerulea, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 17(i6, 30C. — Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 78; pi. xxiv, f. 6. — .' Wagler, Jsis, 



1831,525. 

 Guiraca caeniha, Swai.nson, Birds Mex. in Phil. Mag. I, 1827, 438. 

 rringUla caerulea, AuD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 140: V, 508; pi. 122. 

 Coccoborus caeruleus, Sw. Birds II, 1837, 277.— AuD. Sjn. 1839.— Is. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841,204; pi. 204.— Cabanis, 



Mils. Hein. 1851, 152. 

 Cyanoloxia caerulea, Bp. Conspectus, 1850, 502. 

 Goniaphoea caerulea, Bp. 

 Blue grosbeak. Pennant, Arc. Zool. II, 1785, 351. 



Sp. Ch. — Brilliant blue ; darker across the middle of the back. Space around base of the bill and lores, with tail feathers, 

 black. Two bands on the wing across the lips of the primary and secondary coverts, with outer edges of tertiaries, reddish 

 brown. Feathers on the posterior portion of the under surface tipped narrowly with grayish white. 



Female yellowish brown above, brownish yellow beneath ; darkest across the breast, and lightest on the throat. Wing 

 coverts and tertials broadly edged with brownish yellow. A faint trace of blue on the crown. Length of male 7.25 ; wing, 

 3.50; tail, 2.80. 



Hab. — More southern United States from Atlantic to Pacific, south to Mexico. 



This species exhibits but little variety of coloration, except in the purity and intensity of its 



bl 



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