256 FREGILLIN^E. 



pure tint. The greater quills are bluish black, 

 the outer webs pale grayish white. The secon- 

 daries are black, the basal half of the outer webs 

 pure white, forming a conspicuous mark on each 

 wing. The tertials are also black, having the 

 base of the last bright chestnut-brown. The 

 feathers composing the bastard wing and greater 

 coverts, beautifully barred with black and bril- 

 liant blue, forming a lovely ornament, which is 

 mtwih prized by the angler. Tail black at the 

 base, with the appearance of bars from the struc- 

 ture of the feathers, and sometimes there exhibit- 

 ing a trace of blue. The legs and feet are pale 

 reddish, or flesh red. The general length is from 

 thirteen to fourteen inches. 



Another sub-family shewing the Tenuirostral 

 form, presents us with a single British example, 

 and indeed the sub-family Fregillinae contains so 

 few species assigned to it on sufficient grounds, 

 that farther than adopting it as apparently that 

 which would fill this place, we know little more. 

 Ow native example, familiarly known as the 

 Chough, or Cornish Chough, and rendered a 

 classical bird from the allusion made to it by 

 Shakespeare in King Lear, may be considered as 

 typical of one genus, the bird of alpine Europe 

 shewing another form. The first may be thus 

 characterized. 



FREGILUS, Cuvier. Generic characters. Bill 

 strong at the base, culmen rounded, gradually 



