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CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 



Fringilla cardinalis, Bonap 



PLATE CLIX. Vol. II. p. 336. 



This species is very abundant in Texas, where, as in our Southern 

 States, it is a constant resident. Dr Townsend has observed it on the 

 waters of the Upper Missouri. According to Dr T. M. Brewer, it is 

 but a chance visitor in Massachusetts during summer, indeed so rare, 

 that he never knew certainly but of one pair which bred in the Bota- 

 nical Garden, Cambridge, about six years ago, and departed in the fall, 

 with their young. The eggs measure one inch and half an eighth in 

 length, five-eighths and a third in breadth, and are thus elongated, al- 

 though the smaller end is well rounded. 



In a male preserved in spirits, the palate ascends very abruptly, 

 and has two very elevated soft ridges, at the junction of which ante- 

 riorly is a prominent soft space, on the lower mandible beneath are 

 three longitudinal ridges with four grooves, of which the two lateral 

 are much wider. The tongue is 4^ twelfths long, emarginate and pa- 

 pillate at the base, convex and fleshy above, as high as broad, horny 

 beneath, tapering to a point. The width of the mouth is 6 twelfths. 

 The lower mandible is broader than the upper, exceedingly strong, 

 and very deeply concave. The oesophagus is 2 inches 5 twelfths in 

 length, 3 twelfths in width. The stomach pretty large, roundish, 

 1\ twelfths long, 7 twelfths broad ; its lateral muscles strong, the tendons 

 large, the epithelium very dense, longitudinally rugous, brownish-red. 

 The stomach is filled with seeds, which have all been husked. In- 

 testine 10^ inches long, its width from 3 twelfths to 2 twelfths. Coeca 

 3 twelfths long, ^ twelfth broad, 1 inch distant from the extremity. 

 Cloaca ovate, 4 twelfths in width. 



Trachea 1 inch 10 twelfths long, from 1^ twelfth to h twelfth in 

 breadth ; its rings 52 ; the muscles as in the other species. Bronchial 

 half rings about 12. 



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