BIRDS — FRINGILLIDAE PYRRHULOXIA. 



507 



Sp. Ch. — Tlio top and sides of the head, back of the neck, a broad band across the upper part of tlie breast extending all 

 round, the middle of the back, the wings and tail, with the posterior upper coverts, black. The chin, upper throat and neck 

 all round, but interrupted behind, the rump, with the remaining under and lateral portions of the body, white ; the latter tinged 

 with brownish yellow. Two bands on the wing, across the greater and middle coverts, with the concealed bases of all the 

 quills, also white. Length, about 4 inches ; wing, 2.05; tail, 1.90. 



Female, dull yellow ; olivaceous above, brownish yellow beneath. Wings and tail somewhat as in the male. 



Hah.— Rio Grande of Texas ; south to Honduras, 



The specimen upon which the preceding description of the male has been based is the only 

 one in full plumage I have seen, and was kindly lent by Mr. P. L. Sclater. It was collected in 

 Honduras. Some of the feathers of the back have grayish tips. The specimen described by 

 Mr. Lawrence as S. alhogularis, though male, is, in most respects, like the female, except that 

 the wings and tail are darker, the color of the upper part grayer, and the interscapular feathers 

 blotched with black. The black of the head is strongly indicated, the feathers, however, all 

 with gray margins. In this and another, a little further advanced, from San Diego, Mexico, 

 (4096,) there is a very faint indication of the black pectoral band, and there is no trace of the 

 whitish of the rump. 



List of specimens. 



PYRRHULOXIA, Bonaparte. 



Pyrrhuloxia, Bonaparte, Conspectus, 1850, 500. Type Cardinalis sbmalus, Bonap. 



Ch. — The bill is very short and much curved, the culmen forming an arc of a circle »f 60 degrees or more, and ending 

 at a right angle with the straight gonys ; the commissure abruptly much angulated anterior to the nostrils in its middle point ; 

 the lower jaw very much wider than the upper, and wider than the gonys is long ; anterior portion of commissure straight. Tarsus 

 longer than middle toe ; outer lateral toes longer, not reaching the base of the middle ; wing considerably rounded, first quill 

 longer than secondaries. Tail much longer than the wing, graduated ; the feathers broad, truncate. Head crested. 



Color, — Gray, with red feathers and patches. 



The essential character of this genus lies in the greatly curved, very short, and broad bill, 

 something like that of Pyrrhula. In other respects like Cardinalis, but with less graduated 

 wing, and longer and broader tail. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



