68 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



If a bird's song is to be rendered in words; in the name of 

 common sense, let them be such words as can be fairly expressed by 

 whistling, or at any rate can be indicated by that process. 



The hen bird is illustrated from a beautiful living example in the 

 author's collection. 



THE YELLOW-BILLED CARDINAL, 



Paroaria capitata, D'ORB. 



ALSO called the " Brown-throated " and the "Lesser Cardinal"; but 

 the first of these is a misnomer, inasmuch as the throat is distinctly 

 black on the upper surface of the feathers : indeed, it would be far more 

 applicable either to P. gularis or P. cervicalis, in both of which species the 

 black throat- feathers have reddish bases. P. capitata inhabits Brazil, 

 Paraguay, and the Argentine Republic. 



As, with the Dominican Cardinal, this bird has the head, including 

 the chin vivid carmine, the throat black, extending to a point on either 

 side of the cheeks, where (in life) it disappears behind the red feathering, 

 and tapering almost to a point on the breast ; general colour above slaty- 

 black ; feathers of the nape white at their bases ; the rump slightly 

 mottled with grey and with the lateral plumes white-tipped ; wing-coverts, 

 quills and tail feathers black ; the inner web of the outer tail feather 

 narrowly fringed at the end with white; sides of neck pure white, tapering 

 almost to the nape, and continuous with the pure white of the under- 

 surface ; which, as in the other species, is slightly tinged with grey on 

 the sides and flanks ; the latter mottled with dusky bars ; thighs white in 

 front, black behind ; under wing coverts and under tail coverts white, a 

 patch of black near the edge of the wing ; quills below dusky, with ashy 

 inner edges ; beak bright ochreous yellow ; legs flesh-pink ; iris fiery 

 chestnut.* Length 6J inches. Female like the male. 



* I took the colouring of the beak, legs and iris from my bird two minutes after its death, and 

 therefore am certain of its accuracy. A.G.B. 



