1562 



THE PERCHING BIRDS 



much longer than the rest, as in some other birds of airy and graceful flight. The 

 strong contrast of jet black and purest white in the plumage, notably in the tail, 

 which has two black feathers in the middle, while the rest are as white as snow, 

 makes the bird conspicuous at a long distance, and a more striking object than the 

 browner snow bunting, which occasionally strays from the north to the Alps. There 

 are few more beautiful sights than the wheelings and whirlings of a flock of snow 

 finches, with their white feathers glistening in the sun one moment, while the next 

 their black ones will show clear against the snow. The adult snow finch has the 

 upper parts brown, with light edgings to the feathers; the hind -neck and sides of 

 the neck are ashy gray; the wings and tail are black and white, some of the feathers 

 being edged with brown; while the lower parts are white throughout. 



Desert Finches 



DESERT FINCH. 



(Five-sixths natural size. ) 



This group has been found to contain the palest forms of the 

 rose finches, the only two species known being inhabitants of desert 

 countries. The bill is short and much arched, with both mandibles much curved. 

 The wings are very long, reaching within a third of an inch of the end of the tail 

 when closed, and the metatarsus is comparatively long. The plumage of both sexes 

 in this genus is gray or brown, suffused with pink. The desert finch (Erythrospiza 



