FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 



47 



about as long as the wings, much graduated; the feathers rather narrow, hnear, and 

 elhptically rounded at the end ; the outer webs more than usually broad in proportion to 

 the inner, being more than one third as wide. The upper parts are olive-green, the under 

 whitish. 



The position of this genus is a matter of considerable uncertainty. On 

 some accounts it would be better placed among the Spizina:. 



There are numerous tropical species of this genus ; none of them are 

 nearly allied, however, to the single North American species. 



Embernagra rufivirgata, Lawrence. 



TEXAS SPAKROW. 



Emheniagra rufivirgata, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. V, May, 1851, 112, pi. v, f. 2 (Texas). 



— ScLATER, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1856, 306. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 487, pi. Iv. f. 2. 



— Ib. Mex. Bound. II, Birds, 16, pi. xvii, f. 2. Zonotricliia lAebcja, Light. Bon. 

 Comptes Rend. 43, 1856, 413. 



Sp. Char. Above uniform olivaceous-green, 

 one behind the eye, dull brownish-rufous, an 

 ashy superciliary stripe whiter anteriorly. Un- 

 der parts brownish-white, tinged with yellowish 

 posteriorly, and with olivaceous on the sides ; 

 white in the middle of the belly. Edge of 

 wing, under coverts, and axillaries bright yel- 

 low. Young with the head-stripes obsolete. 

 Length, 5.50 ; wing, 2.60 ; tail, 2.70. 



Hab. Valley of the Rio G-rande, and prob- 

 ably of Gila, southward ; Mazatlan, Mexico. 

 Oaxaca, April (Scl. 1859, .380) ; Cordova ; 

 Vera Cruz, temperate and hot regions, breed- 

 ing (Sum. M. B. S. I, 551) ; Yucatan (Lawr. 

 IX, 201). 



A stripe on each side of the head, and 



Ilmbemagra rufivirgata, Lawr. 



In this species the bill is rather long ; the wings are very short, and much 

 rounded ; the tertials equal to the primaries ; the secondaries rather shorter ; 

 the first quill is .65 of an inch shorter than the seventh, which is longest. 

 The tail is short ; the lateral feathers much graduated ; the outer half an 

 inch shorter than the middle. 



All the IVIexican specimens before us have the bill stouter than those 

 from the Rio Grande of Texas, the stripes on the head apparently better 

 defined. The back is darker olive ; the flanks brighter olive-green, not olive- 

 gray , the wings are apparently shorter. The series is not sufficiently perfect 

 to show other differences, if any exist. 



Habits. In regard to the habits and distribution of this species we are 

 entirely without any information, other than that it has been met with in the 

 valley of the Eio Grande, and at various places in Mexico. Specimens were 

 obtained at New Leon, Mexico, by Lieutenant Couch, and at Ringgold Bar- 



