PINE FINCH. 309 



to dry himself. Two or three other birds have been put into the cage 

 with him, but were instantly attacked. He has now and then been 

 seen to hold his food in his claws like a hawk. 



PINE FINCH. 



Fringilla pinus, Wils. 



PLATE CLXXX. Vol. II. p. 445. 



I HAVE thought it rather strange that this species is not mentioned 

 in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, as occurring in the Fur Countries, as 

 I found it abundant in Labrador. Dr Townsend also procured speci- 

 mens of it along the shores of the Columbia River. Nothing, however, 

 is yet known of its nest, eggs, or habits during the breeding season. 



The bill of this species is very similar to that of the Linnets, being 

 regularly conical, a little compressed ; both mandibles equal in size, and 

 of the same length. The roof of the mouth is deeply and broadly con- 

 cave, with two ridges ; the palate ascending, with two prominent ridges ; 

 the posterior aperture of the nares linear, papillate on the edges ; the 

 lower mandible much involute. The tongue is 4 twelfths long, deeper 

 than broad, emarginate and papillate at the base, concave above toward 

 the point, which is acute. Width of mouth 3| twelfths. OEsophagus 

 1 inch 9 twelfths long, enlarging into a kind of cross 4 twelfths in width, 

 on the right side of the neck, and extending behind so that its edge 

 projects on the other side, as in the Crossbills and Pine Grosbeak ; it 

 then contracts to 2 twelfths ; the proventriculus 2^ twelfths in breadth. 

 Stomach roundish, moderately compressed, its length and breadth 4^ 

 twelfths, the lateral muscles well developed, the tendons large, the epi- 

 thelium tough and longitudinally rugous. It contains quartz-sand and 

 remains of seeds. Intestine 10^ inches long, from 1 j twelfth to | twelfth 

 in width ; coeca 1 twelfth long, \ twelfth broad, 1 inch distant from the 

 extremity. 



Trachea 1 inch 2 twelfths long, scarcely | twelfth in breadth, mo- 

 derately flattened, firm; the rings about 60 ; bronchial half rings 10; 

 inferior laryngeal muscles large. 



