2 Thompson, Description of a Hybrid Finch. \*\an 



beak, the Purple Finch, the Crossbills and the European Linnet, 

 are invariably lost in cage birds, and are permanently succeeded 

 by a dull yellow or bronze tint. The specimen in question has 

 all the deep and rich red tints of the brightest plumaged Pine 

 Grosbeak. In addition to this the great difficulty of getting 

 these birds to breed in confinement must be remembered, while 

 the excellent condition of this specimen shows that it was accus- 

 tomed to liberty. The absence of traces of cage-life and the fact 

 that it was with the wild birds that came down from the north 

 seem to indicate with almost certainty that it was a wild born 

 bird. 



I published a description of the specimen in the 'Transactions' 

 of the Canadian Institute (Proc. Orn. Subsection Can. Inst, for 

 Jan'y, Feb'y, March, 1890, pub. Toronto, Oct. 1S90), but it 

 was very brief and contains several printers' errors, as well as the 

 blunder of removing my name from the article and substituting 

 that of the collector. The following is a fuller description : 



No. 1225 (Collection of Ernest E. Thompson) : adult male, 

 length, 6.75 inches; wing, 3.75 ; tail, 3 1 25 ; tarsus, .7S; middle 

 toe and claw, .78 ; beak, .50 ; deptli of culmen, .43 ; width of 

 gape, -375- In form, as in size, it is intermediate between the 

 two supposed progenitors. The bill is as large as that of some 

 Pinicola, and is swollen as in this genus, but it is without the 

 hook. The wing is pointed, the second primary is longest, the 

 order being 2, 3, 1,4; the secondaries fall short of the point fry 

 .94 inch ; the forking of the tail is .34 deep. 



In general style of coloration it resembles a very highly colored 

 Pinicola ; no Carpodac7ts purpureas that I have compared it 

 with at all approaches it in richness. 



The head and neck are glossy crimson, deeper in certain lights, 

 always deepest on the crown, and slightly tinged with yellow on 

 the sides of the neck. The lores, chin and antrorse ruff are light 

 brownish gray. All the feathers of the crown have dark centers, 

 which, however, are concealed ; on the cervix they show some- 

 what, and on the nape they give a slightly spotted or streaked 

 appearance. All of this may be matched exactly in specimens 

 of Pinicola. 



The scapulars and interscapulars have dark brown centers 

 and light brown edges, with a general cast of yellowish brown 



