478 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Chrysomitris psaltria, var. mexicana, Bonap. 



BLACK GOLDFINCH; MEXICAN GOLDFINCH. 



Carduelis mexicanus. Swains. Syn. Birds Mex. Phil. Mag. 1827, 435. — Wagler, Isis, 

 1831, 525. Chrysomitris mexicanus, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, 516 (quotes AuD. tab. 

 427). — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 423, pi. liv, f. 1. Astragalinus Tnexicamis, Cab. 

 Mus. Hein. 1851, 159. — Ib. Journ.- fiir Oru. 1861, 7 (with synonymy). — Coues, 

 P. A. N. S. 1866, 82. Fringilla melanoxantha (Light.), AVagler, Isis, 1831, 525. 

 7 Fringilla catotol, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 914. Fringilla texensis, Giraud, 16 Sp. 

 Birds Tex. 1841, pi. v. f. 1 (gives white belly). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 169. 



Sp. Char. Upper parts continuously and entirely black ; the feathers of the rump white 

 subterminally, and showing this through the black ; a few of the feathers with greenish- 

 yellow betw^een the white and the black ; a few, perhaps, without black tips. The bases of 

 the third to seventh primaries, and the ends of the tertiaries externally white. The tail is 

 black, except the outer three feathers, in which the outer w^ebs and tips only are this color ; 

 the rest white. Inside of wing black. Under parts of body pale yellow. Female with 

 the black of the head and body replaced by oUve-green. Length, 4.12 inches; wing, 2.25 ; 

 tail, 2.00. 



Hab. Mexican side of the valley of the Rio G-rande, southward ; Oaxaca, June (Scl. 

 1858, 302) ; Cordova (Scl. 1856, 303) ; Guatemala (Scl. Ibis I, 19) ; Costa Rica (Cab. 

 J. 1861, 7); Panama (Lawr. N. Y. Lye. 1861, 331 ; winter). 



Habits. The Mexican Goldfinch i.s distributed from the western side 

 of the Eio Grande, through Mexico and Central America, to Panama. 

 Sumichrast mentions it as found throughout the State of Vera Cruz, but 

 most abundant in the temperate region. It breeds in the vicinity of 

 Orizaba. It was taken in Central America, by Mr. Skinner, and has been 

 reported from Costa Rica, and from Panama in the winter. Of its distinc- 

 tive peculiarities we have no information, but they jji'obably do not difter 

 from those of the other forms of C. psaltria. 



Chrysomitris lawrencii, Bona?. 



LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. 



Carduelis lawrencii, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, Oct. 1850, 105, pi. v (California). Chrysomi- 

 tris laxcrencii, BoN. Comptes Rendus, Dec. 1853, 913. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 424. — Heerm. X, S, 50 (nest). — Elliot, Illust. Am. B. I, pi. viii. — Coopeu, Orn. 

 Cal. I, 171. 



Sp. Char. Male. Hood, sides of head anterior to the middle of the eye, chin, and 

 upper part of throat, black. Sides of head, neck, and body, upper part of neck and the 

 back, and upper tail-coverts, ash-color. Rump and lesser wing-coverts yellowish-green. 

 Throat below the black, breast, and outer edges of all the quills (except the first primary, 

 and passing into white behind), bright greenish-yellow. Wings black. Tail-feathers 

 black, with a white square patch on the inner web, near the end ; outer edges grayish ; 

 quills black. Female similar, with the black of the head replaced by ash. Length, about 

 4.70 ; wing, 2.75 ; tail, 2.30. Young like the female, but. wing-bands pale fulvous, in- 

 stead of yellow. 



Hab. Coast of California; Fort Whipple, Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 83). 



