130 BIRD GALLERY. 



by marked differences in the shape of the bill. To the former belong 

 the Hawfinch (Cuccothramtes) (2404) and Greenfinch (CMoris) (2412), 

 both well-known British species, as well as a large number of thick- 

 billed forms, such as the brilliantly coloured Crested Cardinals 

 (Cardinalis) (241 7), chiefly found in America. 



Of the Fringillinee many are included in the British list. Those that 

 breed are the Chaffinch (2419), Goldfinch (2422), Siskin (2426), 

 Linnet (2433), Lesser Redpoll (2434), Twite (2431), House-Sparrow 

 (2439), Tree-Sparrow (2438), Crossbill (2454), and Bullfinch (2461); 

 the Brambling (2420) and Mealy Redpoll (2432) are winter visitors ; 

 while the Serin Finch (2457), Parrot Crossbill (2453), Two-banded 

 Crossbill (2459), Rose-Finch (2458), and Tine-Grosbeak (2509) are 

 accidental visitors. The Crossbill is an instance of peculiar modifica- 

 tion, the mandibles crossing each other in front, and enabling the 

 bird not only to open fir-cones, on the seeds of which it principally 

 feeds, but to use its bill for climbing like a Parrot. Other notable 

 forms are the Saffron-Finches (Sycalis) (2447) of South America, 

 frequently kept as cage-birds, but generally too pugnacious to live 

 with other birds; the handsome Rhyncho strut hus socotranus (2434 a), 

 peculiar to the island of Sokotra ; and the brilliant scarlet Sepoy- 

 Finch (Carpodacus sipahi) (2449) from the Himalaya. 



The Buntings (Embcrizinai) are also well represented on the British 

 list, the breeding species being the Common or Corn- (2467), Yellow 

 (2471), Cirl (2470), Reed- (2463), and Snow- (2473) Buntings, while 

 the Black-headed (2462), Ortolan (2465), Siberian Meadow- (2475), 

 Meadow- (2475 a), Rustic (2476), Little (2477), and Lapland (2474) 

 Buntings, are accidental visitors. A large number of American genera 

 are also included in this group; some, such as Oyanuspiza (2482-4) 

 and Paroaria (2506), containing brightly coloured species. 



FAMILY XXXIII. CCEREBIDA:. AMERICAN CREEPERS. 



[Case 80.] The American Creepers or Quit- Quits are a nine-primaried family, 

 allied to the Tanagers, but in their habits and other points resemble the 

 Tits (Parida) and Creepers of the Old World (Certhiida). The bill 

 is usually slender, sometimes conical or strongly hooked at the tip as 

 in Diglossa (2516-9), and the extensile tongue is forked and fringed at 

 the extremity. They belong exclusively to the tropical forest-clad parts 

 of the New World, ranging from Southern Florida to Bolivia and 

 South-east Brazil. Like the Tanagers, their plumage is a combination 

 of the brightest colours, and hence some species, like the Blue Creeper 

 (Gyanerpes cyanea) (2528), have become an article of trade for the orna- 

 mentation of women's hats. The Banana-Quit (Ccereba flaveola) (2529) 



