KUINGILLID.E - TllK K1NCI1E8. 



483 



Gknus 



Llnn.kus. 



Loxia, LiNNiKUS, Syst. Nat. ed, 1(», 7oii. (Tvi»t', Loxid c 1 1. re i rostra, L.) 

 Ctirvirostra, "Scuimili, 1777." (Tvjk', L. curcirostro.) 



Gkx. Char. Maiulililcs iimch elongated, coinprcss«.'»l and attenuated; greatly curved 

 or lakate, the points crossing or 



. >'erlup}>ing to a greater or les;; ^^^^£^EI^:^^^^^z^-^^^^^''}:^^-z::zzr^\^ 

 degree. Tarsi very short ; claws 

 all very long, the lateral extend- 

 ing beyond the middle of the 

 central ; hind claw longer than 

 its digit. Wings very long an«l 

 pointed, reaching beyon<l the mid- 

 dle of the narrow, forked tail. 



Colors reddish in the male. 



5H03 6 



Loxia fimericana. 



The eloiij^ated, compressed, 

 falcate-curved, and overlap- 

 ping mandibles readily cliaracterize this genus among birds. This feature, 

 however, only l)elongs to grown speciinens, the young having a straight bill, 

 as in other Finches. 



The United States species of Loxia are readily distinguished by the 

 presence of white bands on the wing in Icuwptcra and their absence in 

 americana. Neither form, liowever, is to be considered as specifically dis- 

 tinct from their European allies. The difl'erences are as follows : — 



Species and Varieties. 



L. curviroBtra. Wings dusky, without white bands. 



1. Bill from forehead, .74 ; wing, 3.00 ; tail, 2.40. Lower mandible much 

 weaker than the upper. Ilah. Europe .... var. curvirostra} 



2. Bill from forehead, .80 or more ; wing, 4.00 ; tail, 2.o0. Lower mandible 

 as strong as the upper. Ilab. Rocky Mountains of United States, and 

 mountainous regions of Mexico . . . . . . var. mexicana. 



3. Bill from forehead, .GO or less; wing, 3.30; tail, 2.20. Jlab. North 



America jrcnerallv 



var. aiuer icana . 



L. leucoptera. Wings deep black, with two broad white bands. 



\. Body and head pomegranate-red; black of scapulars nearly meeting 

 across lower back. Ilah. Northern North America ; "Tlinialayas" ; "Ja- 

 pan" var. I e Kcop f e ra . 



2. Body, etc., cinnaljar-red ; back nearly wholly red. Hab. Einope. 



var. hi fuse lata } 



1 Loxia curvirostra, LiNN'., Syst. Nat. 209. 



■^ Luxia bifascuiUi, Ue SKLYs-Lt>N(;cHAMPs, Fauiie Beige, 76. Bona?. & rfciiLEGEL, Mon. 

 dc-s Loxieus, 7. 



