FINCHES, SPARROWS, GROSBEAKS, ETC. 

 Fring'iiiidae. 



Family Ciiakacters. 



The external characters of this large and important f;im- 

 ily, w hich is largcl}' represented throughout the Avorld, and 

 of v,hich there are many species in our Kew England fauna, 

 are, first, the primaries or outer quills are nine. That is, there 

 are nine flight feathers grooving upon the bones of the hand 

 and -vvaist. See fig. 1 ^Yhere I have given a cut of the prima- 

 ries of a White-throated Sparrow. 



Second, the bill is quite short and cone-shaped, while the 

 cutting edge of the upper mandible is strongly angled near 

 the middle, but it is not notched. See fig. 2, A, where I give 

 a side view in outline of the bill of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 

 and at ib, B, a section of view of the same bill cut tlirough 

 just back of the nostrils. The form of the wings and tail 

 are variable ; these diiferences will be noted under Generic 

 Characters. 



The general form of birds of this family is quite stout and 

 robust but this also varies somewhat in different genera. 



Prominent internal charcters are, first, the gullet or oesoph- 

 agus is miore or less dilated into a crop for the storage of food 

 ( see fig. 3, p). 



