448 



NOjiVII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



(t. I*ohifs of rnnnflih/ps m'erhippinq. 



Curvirostra. Tarsus slmrtcr than ini<l<llo toe. Hill muoh coinprossed, 

 c'lonj^ati' falcate, with the points crossiiifr lil«' the hladt's of scissors. Clawa 

 very large ; lateral exten«lin<j beyond the ba^e of the middle. Colors red or 

 gray. Streaked in jnv. 



h. Points of maiullhles not overlapping. 



2jgiothu8. Tarsus e(inal to the middle toe. Bill very acutely conical ; ont- 



lines and connnissnre jH-rfectly straijrht. Lateral toes reachini; beyond the 



base of the middle one. No ridge on the side of the lower mandible. 



Strcake<l ; a crimson pileum (except in one species). 



Leucosticte. Ciilmen slightly decurved; connnissure a little concave. 



Bill ol)tusely conical ; not sharp-pointed. A conspicuous ri<lge on the side 



of the lower manilible. Claws large: the lateral not reaching beyond the 



base of the mi<Mle one. Colors hmI and brown. 

 D. Hind claw much the largest: d<'cidedlv less curved than the middle anterior 

 one. Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Lateral toes equal; reaching about to 

 the I)ase of the middle claw, Jlind toe as lonj; or longer than the middle one. 

 Bill very variable ; always more or less curved and blunted. Palate somewhat 

 tubercuinte : margins of lower jaw much inflexed. Tail slightly emarginate or 

 even. Wings one half longer than the tail. First quill as long as the second. 



Plectrophanes. Colors black and white. With or without rufous nape or 



elbows. Much white on tail. 



Genus 



BONAP. 



Hesprriphona, BoxAP. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, Sept. 1850, 424. (Type, Fringilla vesper- 

 tina.) 



Gex. Char. Bill largest and stoutest of all the I'nited iStates fringilline birds. Tipper 

 mandible much vaulted ; culmen nearly straight, but arc led towards the tip; commissure 

 concave. Lower jaw very large, but not broader than the upper, nor extending back, as in 



16770 



18597 



16770, Hesprriphona vesptrtina. 18597, Coccothraustes vulgaris. 



Gniraca ; considerably lower than the upper jaw. Gonys untisuall}'^ long. Feet short ; tarsus 

 less than the middle toe ; lateral toes nearly equal, and reaching to the base of the mi Idle 



