448 



NOiiTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



(I. PnliilK nf mniuh'hlen nvcrlapping. 

 Curvirostra. Tarsus slidrtcr tlinii middlo toe. IJill much coinprpssed, 

 floiigiilL- liiluatc, with thi' jioints ci-ossiiifr lik(! tlio liliuli-s of scissors. Cliiwa 

 very hvrgo ; lateral oxtcndiii;,' iicyoiul the biuse of the middle. Colors red or 

 gray. Streaked in juv. 



h. Points of mandibles not ovcrlrippinr/. 

 .2BgiothuB. Tarsus equal to the middle toe. Bill very acutely conical ; out- 

 lines and conuuissure perrectly straight. Lateral toes reacliiuj,' lieyond the 

 b.vse of the middle one. No ridf,'e on the side of the lower mandible. 

 Streaked ; a crimson pileum (exce])t in one .species). 



Leucoaticte. Culmen sli<;litly deeurved ; commis-sure a little concave. 

 Bill obtusely conical ; not sharp-pointed. A conspicuous ri(l<,'e on the side 

 of the lower mandible. Claws large ; the Mvvn] not reaching l)eyond the 

 base of the middle one. Colors red and brown. 

 D. Hind claw much the largest; dijcidcdly letss curveil than the middle anterior 

 one. Tar.sus longer than the middle toe. Lateral toes ecjual; reaching about to 

 the base of the middle elaw. Hind toe as long or longer than the middle one. 

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

 tuborculate ; margins of lower jaw much inflexed. Tail slightly cmarginate or 

 even. Wings oii(> half longer than th(> 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 HESPCRIPHONA, Bonap. 



HespcHphona, Bonap. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, Sept. 1850, 424. (Type, Fringilla vesper- 

 tina. ) 



Oen. Chat?. Bill largest and .stoutest of all the United States fringilline birds. Upper 

 mandible nnich vaulted ; culmen nearly straight, but arched towards the tip; commissure 

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



iGTIO 



1S50T 



16770, Hesperiphona ve.iprrlina. 18597, Ciiccolliraiiales i-iilgaris, 



Guirara ; considerably lower than the \ipp<'r jaw. Oonys unusually long. Feet .sl-.ort ; tarsus 

 less than the middle toe ; lateral toes nearly equ.il, and reaching to the b.ose of the mi Idle 



