60 



NUKTH AMEUICAN BIUDS. 



Spermopbila. Bill very sliort anil broad, scarcely lonp;or than liiffli, 

 not coiiiprcyscil ; culiuen greatly curvod. C'i)K)r ; (.'liiflly hlack and 

 wln'ti', or lirowii and pray. 



Phonipara. Bill inoro t.rianf,Mlar, decidedly lonf,'er than dei'i), much 

 (■onii)rosseil ; ciilincn only slijrhtly curved, or perlcctly istraif,dit. Colors: 

 dull olivc-gnen and blackish, with or without yellow about the head. 

 Vm Wing niucli shorter than the tail. 



It Head crested. Prevailing color red. Bill red or whitish. 



Pyrrhuloxia. Bill ])yirhuline, very short, and with the cuhnen greatly 

 convex; shorter than high. Hind claw less than iUs digit; not much 

 larger than the middle anterior one. Tarsus equal to the middle toe. 

 Nest in bush or low tree ; eggs white, spotted with lilac and olive. 

 Cardinalis. Hill coccothrr.ustinc, very large ; cuhnen very slightly 

 convex. Wings more rounded. Feet a< in the last, except that the 

 tarsus is longer than the middh^ toe. Is'c^i in bush or low tree | egga 

 white, spotted with lilac and olive. 



b. Head not crested. Colors black, brown, or olive, without red. Bill dusky, 



or bluish. 



Fipilo. Bill moderate ; eulnien and commissure curved. Hind claw 

 very large and strong; longer than its digit. Tarsus less than the 

 middle toe. Nest on ground or in low bush; eggs white sprinkled with 

 red, or pale blue with black dots and lines round larger end. 



Ge.\l.s CALAMOSPIZA, Boxap. 



Calamosjiha, Boxap. List, 1S38. (Type, Friiiijilla himhi; Towns.) 

 Cori/daliiui, Ai iiinnix, Syiiojisis, 1839. (Same type.) 



Okx. Cn.\R. Bill rather large, much swollen at the base; the culmen broad, gently but 



decidedly curved; tin; gonys nearly 

 straight ; the connnissure nuich 

 angulated near the base, then 

 slighllj' simiateil; lower mandible 

 nearly as deep as the np|)er. the 

 ni.'ugins much inflectorl, and shut- 

 ting under the upper mandible. 

 Nostrils small, strictly basal. Rictus 

 (piite slillly In Istly. Legs large and 

 stout. Tarsi a little longer than 

 the middlt? toe; outer toe rather 

 longer than the inner, and rea(;hing 

 to the eoneeak'd base of the mid- 

 dle claw ; hind toe reaching to the 

 base of tlic middle claw ; hind claw 

 and cousid(>rablv curved. Wiufjs 



Ciilumospizn birolor. 



about as long us its toe. flaws all strong, eomi)ressei 

 long and pointed; the first four nearly eipial, and al>ruptly longest; the tertials much 

 elongated, as long as the primaries. Tail a little .shorter than the wings, .slightly gradu- 

 ated ; the feathers rather narrow and oblicpiely oval, rounded at the end. 



Color, Milk, black, with white on tlie wings. Femak, lirown above, beneath white, 

 with streaks. 



