AVES. 497 



second, third and fom-th quills subequal, longest of all. Tarsus 

 not surpassing the middle toe in length or shorter than it. Hallux 

 long, with claw larger, curved. 



We here take the genus Amadina in the compass in which Swainson 

 has estabhshed it {Natural Hist, and Classificat. of Birds, ii. p. 279), to 

 which he refen-ed Estrelda, Amadina, Spermestes, Erythura and Pytelia as 

 sub-genera. Here also the number of genera is too much multipHed by 

 modern writers. All the species are from warm countries of the eastern 

 hemisphere, some from Australia, many from Africa. They are small birds 

 mostly elegantly marked ; whence many are brought to Europe and kept 

 alive in cages as chamber-birds. To the larger species belongs the rice-hird, 

 Amadina oryzivora, Loxia oryzivora L. Buff. PI. cnl. C52, fig. i, Diet, 

 univ. d'Hist. nat., Ois. PI. 3 A, fig. 2, from the East Indies ; from Africa 

 the Bengali, Amadina Bengala, Fringilla hengalus, Estrelda phwnicotis 

 Swains., Buff. PI. enl. 115, fig. i, Diet. univ. 1.1. fig. i. Swains. Birds 

 of W. Afr. I. PI, 14. More than seventy species of this genus are 

 known. 



Loxia Brisson, Illig., Temm. (add Corythus Cuv. in part, 

 spec, from gen. Loxia L.). Bill shorter than head, strong, keeled, 

 compressed towards the tip, with tip of upper mandible hooked, 

 produced beyond lower. Nostrils basal, lateral, rounded, covered 

 by recumbent plumules at the base of bill. Wings moderate, with 

 nine primaries (the first wanting), first two or second and third 

 subequal, longest of all. Tarsus short, thick, of the length of 

 middle toe. Tail short, forked. 



Compare on this genus and some others of this family C. L. Bonapakte 

 et H. ScHLEGEL, Monographie des Loxiens. Avee 54 PI. col. Leide et 

 Dusseldorff, 1850, 4to. 



Loxia Briss., Illig. Temm. Tips of mandibles crossing. 



Sp. Loxia curvlrostra L., Buff. PL enl. 218, Less. Ornith. PL 61, fig. 2, 

 Naum. Taf. no, Bonap. et Schlegel Lox. PI. 2, 3; the cross-hill, le hec 

 croise, dcr KreuzscJinahel ; the tip of the lower mandible projects above 

 the margin of the upper mandible ; the male is red, with black wing- and 

 tail-feathers ; the female and the young birds are grey -brown, with yellowish- 

 green tints ; this species lives on pine-trees in the north, and visits temperate 

 countries in the winter. In this species the breeding is not confined to any 

 definite time of year, but occurs sometimes even in winter ; see Hanow's 

 Seltenhciten der Natur u. Oehonom. i. Leipzig, 1753; s. 277 u. ff". — Loxia 

 pytiopsittacus Bechst., Naum. Taf. 109; rarer and larger than the pre- 

 ceding ; the tip of the lower mandible does not project above the margin of 

 upper; it lives in the north of Europe. All the species of this genus, 

 not numerous, are from the Northern hemisphere. 



VOL. II. 32 



