67 



front of the tarsus with about eight scutellfe ; the posterior face en- 

 tire. Wing long and poiuted, considerably longer than the tail; first 

 three primaries loogest, of nearly equal length, and abruptly longer 

 than the fourth, the first, usually, but sometimes the second, longest ; 

 tertials not exceeding the secondaries. Tail medium, decidedly shorter 

 than the wiug, much emargiuated or slightly forked ; the lateral pair, 

 or the next, longest ; coverts lengthened, extending more than half- 

 way to the tip. Plumage in general full and blended, but not compact ; 

 feathers of the pileum somewhat elongated. Colors: In the adult, pre- 

 vailing color brown or blackish, becoming dusky on the forehead ; lesser 

 and middle wing-coverts, upper and lower tail-coverts, and feathers of the 

 rump, abdomen, and flanks tipped with red or rosy (the shade varying ac- 

 cording to the iudividiial or the season); greater wing-coverts broadly 

 skirted with red (very adult) or dingy ochraceous (in younger individuals); 

 remiges and rectrices dusky, more narrowly-skirted with reddish or whit- 

 ish. In spring and summer, the bill uniform black, the red tints inclin- 

 ing to bright carmine, and the contour-feathers without paler mar- 

 gins ; in fall and icinter, the bill yellow, pointed with dusky, the red 

 tints of a rose or peach-blossom-piuk shade, and the contour-feathers 

 more or less distinctly bordered with a paler shade. In the young (of 

 L. griseinucha — the others not seen), the plumage uniform brownish gray, 

 with very faint pinkish edgings to the wing-feathers. 



The genus Leucosticte stands somewhat apart from the genera to which 

 it is most nearly related. Its nearest kindred are ^Ugiothus,* Chrysomitris,\ 

 Pimcola,f Car2)odacus,^ -dud 2lontifringiUa,\\ the first and last of these 

 being those to which it is most nearly allied. From ^Ugiothus it differs 

 conspicuously, in much more robust and obtuse bill, with its outlines 

 more convex, in the less development of the nasal plumes, shorter lateral 

 toes, longer tarsus, less development of the claws, different system of 

 coloration, and larger size. To Montifringilla the resemblance is closer, 

 it being, like this form, of terrestrial habits instead of chiefly arboreal, 

 like the others. The chief differences from Montifringilla consist 

 in the very different coloration, more emarginated tail, and concave, in- 

 stead of strongly convex, superior tomium of the bill, which, in Monti- 

 fringilla and all the other allied forms, lacks the oblique ridge on the 

 base of the lower mandible.^ 



Of the species usually assigned to the genus, one — L. arctoa (Pall.) — 

 differs in form, lacking the ridges on the side of the lower mandible, 

 while the colors are normally different, the wings and tail being hoary 

 whitish on the outer webs, and the feathers of the posterior parts of the 

 body lacking the rosy tips. The L. giglioli, Salvadoei (Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society, London, 1868, pp. 579-580, pi. xliv), agrees 

 with L. arctoa in the bill and in lacking the rosy tips to the posterior 

 contour-feathers. L. drunneinucha (Bra^bt) is si true Leucosticte ; but 

 to which group the two remaining Old- World species, L. hcematopygia 

 (Gould) and L. hrandti, Bonap., belong, I am not at present able to 

 decide.** 



* JEgiothus, CaBANIS, 1S5L Type, Fringilla linaria, LlNN. 



t Chrysornitris, BoiE, 1828. Type, Fringilla spinas, LlNN. 



t Pinicola, ViEiLi,OT, 1807, Type, Fringilla enudeator, Linn. 



§ Carpodacus, Kaup, 1829. Type, Fringilla erythrina, Pall. 



II Montifringilla, Brehm, 1828. Type, Fringilla nivalis, LlNN. 



H I find a decided indication of this ridge, however, in specimens of Chrysornitris hirhata 

 (MOL.) and C. tristis (Ltnn.). 



*^ The smooth-billed Leucosfictes may properly be considered as a distinct subgenus for 

 which the name Hypolia is here proposed (t'/ro, under ; Aeioc;, smooth). 



