ARCTIC GROUMD-FINCH. 51 



second shorter than the sixth, the first seven and a half twelfths of an 

 inch shorter than the fourth. Tail long, rounded, of twelve strong 

 feathers. 



Bill brownish-black. Iris red. Feet and claws reddish-brown. 

 The general colour of the plumage is black, that colour extending over 

 part of the breast, the sides and lower tail-coverts orange-red, the cen- 

 tral part of the breast and abdomen white, the feathers of the tibi« 

 dusky, margined with whitish. An elongated patch on the outer web 

 of all the scapulars ; a small terminal spot of the same on the first row 

 of small coverts and on the secondary coverts, and a large patch at the 

 end of the inner web of the outer three tail-feathers on each side, white. 



Length to end of tail 8^ inches, bill along the ridge t\, along the 

 edge of lower mandible || ; wing from flexure 3^ ; tail 4i^2 ; tarsus 1^^ 

 hind toe j% its claw i| ; middle toe ||, its claw ^^j. 



Adult Female. Plate CCCXCIV. Fig. 5. 



The Female is smaller. The parts which are black in the male, are 

 blackish-grey, which on the fore part and sides of the neck is tinged 

 with reddish-brown. In other respects there is not much difference in 

 the plumage. 



Length to end of tail 8 inches ; bill along the ridge i\ ; wing from 

 flexure 3^ ; tail 4 ; tarsus 1 ; hind toe i|, its claw |Jj ; middle toe ||, its 

 claw j*|. 



The male above described was shot by Dr Townsend on the Columbia 

 River, on the 14th May 1835 ; the female on the 11th October 1834. 



In form, size, and coloiu-, this bird is most closely allied to the 

 Towhe Finch, Fringilla erythrophthalma of Linnseus, from which, how- 

 ever, it is at once distinguishable by the spots of white on the scapu- 

 lars and wing-coverts which are wanting in that species. The latter on 

 the other hand has a patch of white on the basal part of the outer webs 

 of the primaries, that part being black in the present species. 



