FRINGILLID.E— THE FINCHES. 



81 



Gexus CYANOSPIZA, Baird. 



Pasaerina, Vikim.ot, Aimlysi', 1816. Not of LinnjEUS, used in Botany. 

 tijihii, ItoNAl'.vUTK, Nyiioiisi.s, 1828. Not of 1825. 

 Ci/anospizu, Baii'.I). ^Tyjie, Tannijra cijanat, L.) 



Gkn". CiiAit. Bill deep at the base, compressed; the upper outline considcmlily rurvcd ; 

 the cominissiire rather concave, with an 

 olitu.so, shallow lulie in the middle. (lonys 

 slifjhtlj curved. I'ect moderate ; tarsus idiout 

 equal to midiUe toe ; the outer lateral too 

 barely louirer than the inner, it.s claw lalliu"; 

 short of the base of the middle; liinil toe 

 about ('((iial to the midil'e without daw. 

 Claws all much curved, ac.ite. Winfjs long 

 and pointed, reaching nearly to the middle of 

 the tail; the second and third quills longest. 

 Tail ap]>rceiably shorter than the wings; 

 rather narrow, very nearly even. 



The species of this genus are all of very 

 small size and of showy plumage, usually blue, red, or green, in well-delined areas. The 

 females plain olivaceous or brownish; paler beneath. 



Cyanospiza nnifrna. 



Species. 



Aa Head all round uniform blue: eyelids not dill'erent, commissure distinctly sin- 

 uatcd. 



n. Lower parts blue; no white bands on wing. 



1. C. cyanea. Entirely dcej) nltramarine-bhie, more ])iirplish on the 

 head, somewhat greenish ])0steri()i-ly. Female (h\\] umber above, grayish- 

 white beneath, the lireast with obsolete dari<er streaks. /Jab. Eastern 

 Province of United .States, south, in winter, to Panama. 



h. Lower parts white, the breast rufous. One liroad and ilislinct, ami a 

 narrower, more ol)soletc white band on the wing. 



2. C. amcena. Head and neck, all round, and rump, biight greenish- 

 blue; bat'k, wings, and tail more du.sky ; a narrow white collar between 

 rufous of the breast and blue of the throat. Female grayish-brown 

 above, the rinnp tinged with blue. Beneath dull whitish, the breast 

 and jugnlum more l)nny. lldh. Western Province of United States. 



B. Head party-colored; eyelids dill'erent from adjoining portions. Ccnunissure 

 hardly appreciably sinuated, or even concave. 



((. Back and breast similar in color. L^pper mandible much les.- deep than 

 lower, the connnissurc! concave. 



.3. C. versicolor. Back and lircast dark wine-purple, occiput and 



throat claret-red, forehead and rump ])nrplish-lilMe. Eyelids purpli.sh- 



red. Female fiilvous-gray above, nnifoitn pale fulvous below. Ilah. 



Northern Mexico, and adjacent borders of Uniteil States; Cape St. 



Lucas. 

 /(. Back and breast very dilfercnt in color. U]iper manili'ilc scarcely less 

 dcej) than the lower, the connnissurc straight, or slightly sinuated. 



4. C. oiris. 1/Ower parts vemiiliou-rcd. I? .'k green, crown blue; 



rump dull red; eyelids red. Female dull green above, light olivaceous- 



VOL. II. U 



