FEINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 



459 



brown and violet-colored spots, that usually form a ring around the larger 

 •end. Their food is grain and small seeds, and, in spring, the buds of certain 

 trees. 



Tlie Bullfinch is a favorite cage-bird, soon reconciled to confinement, and 

 capable of being taught to whistle whole airs of opera music with wonderful 

 exactness and beauty. 



Genus CARPODACUS, Kaup. 



Carpodacus, Kaup, "Entw. Europ. Thierw. 1S29." (Type, Loxia erytlmna, Pall.) 



Erythrospiza, Bonaparte, Saggio di vina dist. met. 1831. 



Hcemorrhous, Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 295. (Type, Fringilla pxirpurm,, Gmelin.) 



Char. Bill short, stout, vaulted ; the culmen decurved towards the end ; the commissure 

 nearly straight to the slightly decurved 

 end. A slight development of bristly 

 feathers along the sides of the bill, con- 

 cealing the nostrils. Tarsus shorter 

 than the middle toe ; lateral claws 

 reaching to the base of the middle one. 

 Claw of hind toe much curved, smaller 

 than the middle one, and rather less 

 than the digital portion. Wings long 

 and pointed, reaching to the middle of 

 the tail, which is considerably shorter 

 than the wing, and moderately forked. 

 Colors red, or red and brown. Female 



with the red replaced by brown. Carpodacus frontalis. 



Tlie genus Carjjodacus, including the American Purple Finches, is com- 

 posed of species the males of which are more or less red in full plumage, 

 while the females are brown-streaked. They are spread over ISTorth America, 

 and species also occur in considerable numbers in Northern Europe and 

 Asia. 



Species and Varieties. 



A. Culmen only slightly curved. Tail and wing feathers edged with reddish in 



the male. 



a. $. Crown much brighter purple than the rump or throat. 9- Without 

 lighter superoral and maxillary stripes, the whole head being pretty uni- 

 formly streaked. 



1. C. cassini. ^. Crown bright crimson; rest of head, breast, rump, 

 etc., much lighter purple-pink ; lower tail-coverts with a shaft line of 

 dusky. Hob. Mountain regions of the Middle Province, south, through 

 the table-lands and alpine regions of Mexico, to Mirador. 



h. $. Crown scarcely brighter purple than the rump or throat. 9- With 

 conspicuous superoral and maxillary stripes. 



2. C. purpureus. Crown purple ; rest of head, breast, rump, etc., 

 nearly similar in tint; lower tail-coverts without dusky shaft-lines. 



Purple tints of a rosy carmine cast; first quill longer than the 

 fourth. Hab. Eastern Province of North America . xar. p ur2>ureus. 



