66 



'' The Leucostictes appear in winter to be most at home on the ground^ 

 though they alight readily upon trees, fences, or buildings. A storm 

 gathers them into a dense flock, when their habits are much like those of 

 the Shore-Larks; but, on the return of pleasant weather, the flocks are dis- 

 persed, and the birds are found singly or in small companies. They look 

 pretty and lovable, hopping about one's door-step, in their bright plum- 

 age and cute and confiding manners. They come nearer filling my child- 

 hood's idea of the chick-a-dee-dee than any other bird I know of. They 

 move on the ground with quick, short hops, their feet so closely drawn 

 up iuto their ruffled feathers as to be almost invisible. They are very 

 fond of hemp and canary seed, from which they remove the shells almost 

 instantly. One that was put into a cage readily adapted itself to con- 

 finement, but when others were placed with it they all fluttered about 

 so as to ruin their plumage, and were then liberated. I intended to have 

 kept several through the season in order to note changes which might 

 occur in the plumage. I have several times heard one of them sing, a 

 pretty, warbling song, somew^hat like that of the canary, but so low as 

 hardly to be heard at a distance of more than two or three rods. 



" All tbe varieties mingle indiscrioiinately in the same flock, and I 

 could not detect any difference in their habits or actions. The propor- 

 tion of adults was much greater in early spring than later in the season. 

 You will see that by arranging the birds sent you according to their 

 dates."* 



Genus LEUCOSTICTE, Swainson. 



Linaria] (Leucosticte), SWAINS., F. B. A., 11, 1831, 265 (type Linaria tepkrccotis, Sw.). 



Leucosticte, Swains., Classif. B. II, 1837, 281. — Bonap., Consp., 1850, 536. 



Fasser,t sp., Pallas, Zoog. Eosso-Asiat., II, 1831, 23 {" arctous, yar. y,^^ = griseinucha). 



Erythrospiza,^ sp., BoNAP., Comp.List, 1838.— AUD., Synop., 1839; B.Am., Ill, 1841, 176^ 



Fringilla, || sp., AUD., Orn. Biog., V, 1839, 232. 



Montifringilla,*^ sp.,BoNAP. et ScHLEG., Monog. Loxiens, 1850, 35-37. 



Generic characters. — Form: Bill conical, rounded, the tip rather 

 blunt ; the culmen slightly convex (but appreciably depressed aboat the 

 middle portion) ; the gonys straight, and the upper tomium slightly con- 

 cave ; lower mandible loitli a distinct linear ridge on each side, originat- 

 ing at the lower posterior angle, and extending obliquely forward and 

 upward to the tomium in a direction nearly parallel with the gonys; 

 upper mandible with a similar but much less conspicuous ridge, origi- 

 nating jast above the nostril, and running forward jjarallel with the cul- 

 men. Nostrils concealed by a conspicuous tuft of rather short antrorse 

 feathers. Tarsus a little less than twice the culmen, and considerably 

 exceeding the middle toe without its claw ; lateral toes equal, their 

 claws reaching only the base of the middle claw; posterior toe about 

 equal in length to the lateral toes, but stouter; the nail much 

 larger and more curved; claws moderate, of usual length and curve 



* Mr. Aiken may or may not have been right in considering the dully-colored specimens 

 young individuals ; it is possible that they may be birds of the preceding year, but they 

 are not in the young plumage, which is totally different. 



\Nec Bechst, 18U2 (type Fringilla cannabina, L.) 



\Nec Brisson, 1760 (type Fringilla domestica, h. — Pyrgita, Cuvier, 1817 ! ). 



^Nec BoNAP., 1850 (type E.olisoletus Light.) 



||7Vec LinncBUS, 1735 (type Fringilla aelehs, L.) 



'iNec Brehm, 1828 (type Fringilla nivalis, LiNN.). 



