52 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



The illustration of the male bird is taken from living examples in 

 the author's collection, that of the female from a skin in the National 

 collection. 



THE INDIGO BUNTING.* 



Cyanospiza cyaiica, LjNN. 



THIS Bunting inhabits the Eastern United States, extending in the 

 winter throughout Central America to Panama, the Bahamas, 

 Cozumel, and adjacent islands. The general colour of the adult cock 

 in breeding plumage is greenish cobalt blue, tinged with ultramarine 

 on the head, throat, and middle of breast; the wing feathers are dark 

 brown, slightly bluish on their outer edges: length 5 inches; beak 

 brownish black, bluish beneath, legs dark brown, iris dark brown. In 

 the winter the plumage above is rufous brown, and below ochraceous 

 brown, whiter on the throat and abdomen, the wings and tail as in the 

 summer, but the coverts edged with rufous brown. The change to 

 summer plumage is gained by an alteration of colour in the winter 

 feathering, not by abrasion of the tips of the feathers. 



The hen above is dark brown, slightly reddish on the head and 

 back ; the feathers of the mantle with dark centres ; median and greater 

 wing-coverts blackish, with brown edges, the extremities margined with 

 whitish; flight feathers and primary coverts smoky brown with pale 

 bluish outer edges; the inner secondaries with brown margins; tail 

 feathers smoky brown with bluish edges; lores dull white; cheek and 

 ear-coverts pale reddish brown; throat and body below dull white, 

 reddish brown at the sides; with some dark brown streaks on the 

 throat, chest and sides of breast; axillaries and under wing-coverts buff 

 with dusky centres; quills dusky below, greyish along the inner webs. 

 Length 4 T 7 inches. 



Both this and the Nonpareil Bunting have been called the "Painted 

 Finch;" but the first name ever given to C. cyanea, viz. "Blew 



* The Blue Grosbeak is called "Indigo Finch" by Sclater and Hudson, in their Argentine 

 Ornithology, 



