FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 



483 



Loxia americana. 



Genus LOXIA, Lixx^eus. 



Loxia, LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 758. (Type, Loxia curvirostra, L.) 

 Curvirostra, "ScovoLi, 1777." (Type, L. curvirostra.) 



Gen. Char. Mandibles much elongated, compressed and attenuated ; greatly curved 

 or falcate, the points crossing or 

 overlapping to a greater or less 

 degree. Tarsi very short ; claws 

 all very long, the lateral extend- 

 ing beyond the middle of the 

 central ; hind claw longer than 

 its digit. Wings very long and 

 pointed, reaching beyond the mid- 

 dle of the narrow, forked tail. 



Colors reddish in the male. 



The elongated, compressed, 

 falcate-curved, and overlap- 

 ping mandibles readily characterize this genus among birds. This feature, 

 however, only belongs to grown specimens, the young having a straight bill, 

 as in other Finches. 



The United States species of Loxia are readily distinguished by the 

 presence of white bands on the wing in hucoiMra and their absence in 

 americana. Neither form, however, is to be considered as specifically dis- 

 tinct from their European allies. The differences are as follows : — 



Species and Varieties. 



L. curvirostra. Wings dusky, without white bands. 



1. Bill from forehead, .74; wing, 3.90; tail, 2.40. Lower mandible much 

 weaker than the upper. Hah. Europe .... var. curvirostra.^ 



2. Bill from forehead, .80 or more ; wing, 4.00 ; tail, 2.50. Lower mandible 

 as strong as the upper. Hab. Rocky Mountains of United States, and 

 mountainous regions of Mexico v&v. mexicana . 



3. Bill from forehead, .60 or less; wing, 3.30; tail, 2.20. Hab. North 

 America generally \av. americana . 



L. leucoptera. Wings deep black, with two broad white bands. 



L Body and head pomegranate-red; black of scapulars nearly meeting 

 across lower back. Hab. Northern North America ; " Himalayas " ; " Ja- 

 pan " ........... var. leucoptera . 



2. Body, etc., cinnabar- red; back nearly wholly red. Hab. Europe. 



var. b if a sciata.^ 



1 Loxia curvirostra, LiNN., Syst. Nat. 299. 



2 Loxia bifasciata, De Selys-Longchamps, Faune Beige, 76. 

 ties Loxiens, 7. 



BONAP. & SCHLEGEL, JIoil. 



