FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 



580 



Mr. J. A. Allen mentions first meetinif witli this species at an elevation 

 of seven thousand feet, and from that height it was common, on the slopes 

 of Mount Lincoln, to the extreme limit of the timber line. 



Gexus POOSPIZA, Cabaxis. 



Poospiza, C.\BANis, Wiegmanii's Aichiv, 1847, i, 349. 

 OT Pipilo po.r sonata, Sw.) 



(Type, Eiiiberiza nigro-rufa, D'Orb., 



Gen. Char. Bill slender, conical, both outlines gently curved. Under jaw with the 

 edges considerably inflected; not so high as the up- 

 per. Tarsi elongated, slender ; considerably longer 

 than the middle toe. Toes short, weak ; the outer 

 decidedly longer than the inner, but not reaching 

 to the base of the middle claw. Hind toe about 

 equal to the middle without its claw. All the 

 claws compressed and moderately curved. Wings 

 rather long, reaching about over the basal fourth 

 of the exposed portion of the rather long tail. 

 Tertiaries and secondaries about equal, and not 

 much shorter than the lengthened primaries; the 

 second to fifth about equal and longest; the first 

 considerably shorter, and longer than the seventh. 

 Tail long, slightly emarginate, graduated; the outer Poospiza bUineata. 



feather abruptly shorter than the others. Feathers 

 broad, linear, and rather obliquely truncate at the ends, with the corners rounded. 



Color. Uniform above, without streaks. Beneath white, with or without a black 

 throat. Black and white stripes on the head. 



We are by no means sure that the two Xorth American specimens here 

 indicated really belong to the genus Poospiza, but we know no better position 

 for them. They may be distinguished as follows : — 



Common Characters. Lores and beneath the eye black, a white orbital ring, 

 white spot above the lore (in bilineata continued back in a superciliary stripe); 

 a white maxillary stripe. Lateral tail-feathers, with outer web. and terminal 

 border of inner, hoary or pure white. 



A. Throat black in adult; sides not streaked. 



-1 continuous white superciliary stripe. 



1. P. bilineata. Black patch of throat covering jugulum, with a 

 convex outline behind. Crown and back without streaks, concolored. 

 Wing-coverts without Avhite bands; lesser coverts ash. Wing, 2.75; 

 tail, 2.85 ; bill, from nostril, .37 ; tarsus, .65. 



Xo white superciliary stripe. 



2. P. mystacalis. Black patch of throat not extending on jugulum; 

 its posterior outline truncated. Crown and back with distinct black 

 streaks. Back scapulars and rump rufous in contrast with the ash of 

 head and neck. Wing-coverts with two narrow, sharply defined white 

 bands ; lesser coverts black. Wing, 2.80 ; tail, 3.30 ; bill, .40 ; tarsus, 

 .80. Hah. ^rexico. 



