62 MANUAL 



interest and well worth a great deal of very careful study. It 

 is not intended (o be strictly scientific, beino; more a natural 

 grouping- of like with like ; yet it will not be very difficult to 

 compare it with our present systems of classification, as, for 

 the most jiart, the genera treated of and named are of the 

 same equivalence as our present ones, 



" Family Fringillidm. 

 I divide all the United States species into 4 sub-families, 

 briefly characterizable as follows : — 



1. CocooTHRAuSTiN^. — Bill variable, from enormously large 



to quite small ; with the base of the upper mandible 

 almost always provided with a close-pressed fringe of 

 bristly feathers (more or less conspicuous) concealing 

 the nostrils. Wings very long and pointed, usually 

 one-half to one-third longer than the forked or emar- 

 ginate tail. Tarsi short, 



2. Spizellin^. — Embracing all the ])lain-colored, sparrow- 



like species marked with longitudinal strij)es. Bill 

 conical, always rather small ; both mandibles about 

 equal. Tarsi lengthened. Wings and tail variable. 

 Lateral claws never reaching beyond the base of the 

 middle claw. 



3. PasserelliNjE. — Sparrow-like species with triangular 



spots beneath. Legs, toes, and claws very stout ; the 

 lateral claws reaching nearly to the end of the mid- 

 dle ones. 



4. Spizin^e. — Brightly-colored species usually without any 



streaks. Bill usually very large and much curved ; 

 lower mandible wider than the upper. Wings mod- 

 erately long. Tail variable. 



Under sub-family 1 we have, 



A. — Bill enormously large and si-out ; the lateral outline as 

 long as that of the skull. Culmen gently curved. 



Genus, Hesperiphona. 



