FIIINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 



81 



Cyanospiza amana. 



Genus CYANOSPIZA, Haird. 



Passrrina, ViriLLor, Aiuilyst*, lsl6. Not of Linx^us, used iii Botany. 

 Spizti, IJoNAr.vitTK, Synopsis, 1828. Not of 1S25. 

 Cijatiospiza, Baii:d. ^Type, Tumnjra cyanca, L.) 



Gen. Chak. Bill deep at the base, compressed; the up>er outlh.' considrrahly curved 

 the coiuiuisstne rather concave, with an 

 obtuse, shallow lolte in the middle. Gonys 

 slij^htly curved. Feet moderate ; tarsus about 

 equal to middle toe ; the outer lateral toe 

 barely lon^'cr than the imier, its claw tailing 

 short of the base ol' the middle ; hind toe 

 about equal to the m> Idle without claw. 

 Claws all much curved, .icute. Winjrs lonjj 

 and pointed, reaching nearly to the middh' of 

 the tail; the second and third quills longest. 

 Tail appreciably shorter than the wings; 

 rather narrow, very nearly even. 



The species of this genus are all of very 

 small size and of showy plumage, usually blue, rod, or green, in well-defined areas. The 

 females plain olivaceous or brownish ; paler beneatli. 



Species. 



A* Head all round uniform blue: eyelids not ditferent, commissure distinctly sin- 

 uated. 



n. Lower parts blue; no white bands on wing. 



1. C. cyanea. Entirely deep ultramarine-bhie, more purplish on the 

 head, somewhat greenish posterioily. Female ([\\\\ umber altove. grayish- 

 white beneath, the 'on.'ast with obsolete darker streaks. Ildh. Eastern 

 Province of United States, south, in winter, to Panama. 



h. Lower parts white, the breast rufous. One l»road and distinct, ami r. 

 narrower, more ol>soletc white band on the wing. 



2. C. amcena. Head and neck, all round, and ruiri{). bright gn'onish- 

 blue; back, win irs, and tail more duskv : a narrow white collar between 

 rufous of the breast and blue of the throat. Female giayish-brown 

 altove. the rump tinged with blue. Beneath dull whitish, the breast 

 and jugulum more buffy. Hah. Western Province of United States. 



B. Head party-colored ; eyeliils dilfercnt from adjoining portions. Commissure 

 hardly appreciably sinuated, or even concave. 



a. Back and breast similar in color. Upj)er mandible much less deep thon 

 lower, the coimnissure concave. 



3. C. versicolor, liack and l>reast dark wine-purple, occiput and 

 throat claret-red, forehead and rump ]>urplish-'i>lue. Eyelids purplish- 

 red. Female fulvous-gray above, uniform pale fulvous below. JLih. 

 Northern Mexico, and adjacent borders of Unite<l States; Cape St. 

 Lucas. 



b. Back and breast very dilferent in color. Upper mandible scarcely' less 

 deep than the lower, the couunissur*' straight, or slightly sinuated. 



4. C. ciris. l..o\\cr parts vermiliou-reil. Back green. crov:n blue; 

 rump dull red; eyelids red. Femah dull green above, light olivaceous- 



VOL. 11, 11 



