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 MORTON'S FINCH. 



FrINGILLA MORTONIl. 



A SINGLE specimen of this pretty little bird, apparently an adult 

 male, has been sent to me by Dr Townsend, who procured it in Up- 

 per California. Supposing it to be undescribed, I have named it after 

 my excellent and much esteemed friend Dr Morton of Philadelphia, Cor- 

 responding Secretary of the Academy of Natural Sciences of that city. 



Adult Male. 



Bin short, stout, conical, compressed toward the end ; upper mandi- 

 ble with its dorsal outline declinate, almost straight, being slightly con- 

 vex toward the end, the ridge indistinct, the sides rounded, the edges 

 sharp and somewhat inflected, with a very faint notch close to the tip, 

 lower mandible about the same depth and nearly as broad at the base, its 

 angle very short and roimded, its dorsal hue ascending, almost straight 

 being very slightly convex, the back and sides convex, the edges inflect 

 ed, the tip acute. Gape-line considerably declinate at the base. Nos- 

 trils small, roundish, marginate, basal, in the fore part of the short na- 

 sal depression, and partially concealed by the feathers. 



Head rather large, ovate ; neck short. Feet of ordinary length, tar- 

 sus much compressed, with seven anterior scutella, and two plates be- 

 hind meeting so as to form a very thin edge ; toes rather stout, com- 

 pressed, the first large, the second or inner scarcely shorter than the 

 outer, which is united to the fourth as far as the second joint ; claws 

 rather long, much compressed, laterally grooved, moderately arched, 

 acute. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings of moderate length, the first 

 quill two-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second, which is almost 

 equal to the third, the latter being the longest, the fourth scarcely half 

 a twelfth shorter, the rest slowly decreasing ; secondaries long, truncate 

 or abruptly rounded. Tail of moderate length, nearly even, the mid- 

 dle feathers one-twelfth, the lateral half a twelfth shorter than the rest. 



Bill dusky, bluish toward the base. Feet and claws yellowish-brown. 

 The upper part of the head is ash-grey, with a longitudinal band of 

 black on each side from the bill to the occiput, externally of which is a 

 greyish-white band ; loral space, cheek-coverts, and auriculars dusky, 

 the feathers under the eye tipped with white ; the throat white, sur- 



