KlilNOILLID.E - TllK laNCllES. 



483 



GlONL-S LOXIA, LlNX.KUS. 



L<ma, LlNN^:us, Syst. Nat. f.l. Id, 75S. (Tvi.e, Loria e.nreiroslra, L.) 

 VuroiroKtra, ".Scui'.ii.i, 1777." (Type, L. circiro.ttra.) 



Gen. Char. Man.lil.hvs ,„ucl. olongute.l, coinpres.,.,! ami attenuated ; greatly curved 

 or lak'iitc, the poiuts crossing or 

 ovcrlaiijiing to a greater or less 

 degree. Tarsi very short ; claws 

 all very long, the latei'al extend- 

 ing beyond the middle of the 

 central; hind claw longer than 

 its digit. Wings very long and 

 pointed, reaching beyond the mid- 

 dle of the narrow, forked tail. 



Colors reddish in the male. 



Loxia itmericana 



The elongated, compre.s.sed, 

 falcato-ciirvod, and overlap- 

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

 however, only belongs to grown speciinens, the young having a straight bil{ 

 as in other Fint'he.s. 



The United States species ol' Uria are readily distinguisiied by the 

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

 umerimna. Neither form, howe\-er, is to be considered as specifically dis- 

 tinct from their European tdlics. The diflereuces are as follows : — 



Species and Varieties. 

 L. cuivirostra. Wings dusky, without white bands. 



1. ]$ill from forehead, .74; wing, .'i.no ; tail, 2.40. Lower mandible much 

 weaker than the upper, //rrft. Europe .... xay.cnrvirostra} 



2. Bill from forehead, .80 or more; wing, 4.00; tail, 2.50. Lower mandible 

 as strong as the ujiper. Ilab. P^ocky Mountains of United States, and 

 mountainous regions of Me.vico yi^r. mexica nu . 



3. Bill Irom forehead, .GO or less; wing, 3.;iO; (ail, 2.20. Hub. North 

 America generally . vt^v. „ mer ! vanu . 



li. leucoptera. Wmgs deep black, with two liroad white bauds. 



1. Body and Lead poiuegrauate-red ; l)lack of .■<eapulars nearly meeting 

 across fiwer back. //«6. Northern North America ; "IIiinala3-as" ; " Ja" 



'^"" var. I euro pi, ,-t! . 



2. Body, etc., ciimabar-red ; back nearly wholly red. Ilab. Eifrojie. 



var. h t'fdsc in la .' 



' Lo3-ia curviro-ilnr, I,inn., Sy.st. Nat. 200. 



••' luxia bifascUiUi, Di; SF.i.vs-Lo.s.iciiAMl-s, Faune Helgo, 7«. DoNAf. k Sciilkokl, Moii. 

 ni's Loxicus, 7. 



