NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Family FRINOILLID^. — Tmo Finciiics. {Cvniiaaai) 



Gesu.s SPIZELLA, lio.NAP. 



tSpizcllii, lidNAi'. Ofog. lUiJCoiiip. List, 1838. (Tvpc, Friiuiilhi atnmteiniis, I,atii.) 

 Splnitcs, ('AiiAMs, Mils. \U\n. 18,-.l, 1.'53. (Type, Friiujllta sacktlis, Wir.s.) 



Gkn. CiiAH. Bill conical, the outline.s 8li<,'htly ciiivcd; tlio lower iniuniiljlo decidedly 



lai'<>(>r than the iiitper; tiie coiiniiissuie 

 .U'cntly .siniiated; the niof of the mouth 

 nyt kiioljbed. Feet slendei' ; tarsus 

 rather loiijrer tiiaii tlu middle toe ; the 

 hinder toe a little longer than the outer 

 lateral, whii;h tilijfhtly c.xeeed.s the 

 inner; the outer claw reaching the base 

 of the middle one, and hall' as long 

 as it.s toe. Claw.s moderately curved. 

 Tertiaries and secondaries nearly equal ; 

 wing somewhat pointed, reaching not 

 quite to the middle of the tail. First 

 ^ . „ . , , fl"i'l ^ little shorter than the second and 



equal to the lifth; thud longest. Tail 



rather long, moderately forked, and divaricated at the tip; the feathers rather narrow. 



Hack streaked ; rump and beneath immaculate. Young streaked beneath. 



This geinis differs from Zonofrichia principally iu the smaller size and 

 loiii^'er and fcjrked, instead of rounded tail. 



Birds of the year of this <,'enus are very difficult to distinguish, even l)y 

 size, except in montimla. The more immature birds are also very closely 

 related. In these the entire absence of streaks on a plumbeous head point 

 to atrigulnris ; the same character in a reddisli cap, and a reddisli upper 

 niiuidible to pusilla ; a dusky loral spot with dark streaks and generally a 

 ridbus shade on top of head, to socialis. S. breweri, with a streaked head, 

 lacks the dusky lore and chestnut shade of feathers. S. paUida generally 

 lias a median light stripe in the cap, and a dusky mandibidar line. " 



roM.MON Characters. Interscapular region with black streak.s. Hump and 

 lower parts without streaks (except in young). Wing with two narrow light 

 hands (indistinct in atriyularis). 



vol.. ir. 1 



