184 BROOKLYN INSTITUTE MUSEUM. SCIENCE BULLETIN 2. 6. 



On my first Orinoco expedition, this species was observed at and 

 above the falls of Atures only, from which point onward it was not 

 uncommon, but in April, 1907, examples were collected at Agua 

 Salada de Ciudad Bolivar. 



An immature male in transitional plumage, just assuming the 

 nuptial dress, is dark olive green above with patches of grey here and 

 there where the nuptial dress is developing. There are many black 

 feathers in forehead and fore part of crown, and a few grey ones on 

 top of head. Wing-coverts olive green brighter than the back; wing- 

 and tail-quills blackish brown edged with yellowish olive. Sides 

 of face and throat black mottled with olive yellow; breast, sides and 

 flanks grey slightly mottled with olive yellow ; centre of abdomen 

 and under tail coverts pale olive yellow. 



Fresh birds have the eye chestnut brown; bill plumbeous grey 

 basally and forward to slightly beyond the nostrils, distally black; feet 

 slate grey. 



FRINGILLIDAE— THE GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, BUNTINGS 



AND SPARROWS. 



Berlepsch and Hartert's paper included twenty-two species and 

 subspecies pertaining to this family. Of that number the writer 

 had at that time collected nineteen. The present paper includes twenty- 

 six species and subspecies. 



With the exception of the Dickcissel, Spi::a americana, all are resi- 

 dent forms although there seems to be more or less local migration 

 controlled by the local food supply. Several of the species congre- 

 gate in flocks at the close of the breeding season. Some of the flocks are 

 composed of a single species, while others will be made up of several 

 species. This is particularly to be noted among members of the genus 

 Sporophila. 



Quite a number of species are habitually trapped and kept as cage 

 birds, and nearly all seem to thrive in confinement. 



Key TO THE Genera, Species and Subspecies of Fringillidae. 



a. Plumage more or less streaked above or below, or both. 



b. Tail feathers not acuminate, or if acuminate then tail is shorter than 

 wing. 



c. Length 150 mm. or more, wing more than 85 mm Sallalor (in pan) 



c'. Length less than 150 mm. and wing not more than 8s mm. 



d. Back not distinctly striated and no olive yellow edges to wing and 

 tail quills (faint dusky brownish shaft streaks in the olive-brown 

 feathers of the back of immature or female Sicalis columbiana are 

 in combination with olive-yellow edges to wing and tail feathers). 



