BIRDS — FKINaiLLlDAE — GUIRACA LUDOVICIANA. 



497 



The essential character of the genus, as here established, lies in the very thick, slightly arched 

 bill, the pointed wings, longer than the even tail, and the tarsi shorter than the middle toe. 



Taking G. coerulea as the type of the geniis, it differs from ludoviciana and mdanocephala 

 in having a larger and deeper lower jaw, in proportion to the upper ; the commissure more 

 abruptly angulated ; a more distinct ridge ; the lateral toes rather shorter. The Cyanoloxia 

 parelUna of Bonaparte, assigned to the same genus by him, is radically different, the bill being 

 more like Cyanopiza in the comparative weakness of the lower jaw ; the feet are much more slender, 

 the tail shorter and much more rounded. According to G. K. Gray, the genus Goniaphea o f 

 Bowdich, has the Loxia ludoviciana as type.^ 



The species may be grouped as follows : 



Gdiraca. 



Blue ; wings banded with chestnut brown G. ccerulea. 



Goniaphea. 



Black ; breast rose colored ; belly white. Under wing coverts of female saffron yellow or 

 fulvous G. ludoviciana. 



Black ; median band on the crown, nuohal collar, rump and under parts yellowish cinnamon ; 

 centrallineof belly yellow. Under wing coverts of female clear lemon yellow... (r. mdanocephala. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



GUIRACA LUDOVICIANA, Swainson. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



Loxia ludoviciana, Linn. Sysl. Nat. I, 1766, 306.— Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 135 ; pi. xvii, f. 2. 

 Guiraca ludoviHana, Swainson, Pliil. Mag. I, 1827, 438. — Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 501. 

 Fringilla ludoviciana, Ahd. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 166 : V, 513 ; pi. 127. 

 Pyrrhultt ludoviciana, Sab. ZooI. App. Franklin's Narr. 

 Ceccothraustes ludoviciana, Rich. List, Pr. Br. Ass. 1837. 



Coccoborus ludovicianus, Aud. Syn. 1839, 133.— In. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 209 ; pi. 205. 

 " Goniaphea ludoviciana, Bowdich." 

 Hedymeles ludoviciana, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. ]851, 153. 

 * Fring-ti/apttmcea, Gmelin, Syst, Nat. I, 1788, 921. (Male.) 

 Loxia obseura, Gmelin, I, 1788, 862. 

 Loxia rosea, Wilson, Am. Orn. pi. xvii, f. 2. 

 Coccothrausles rubricollis, Vieillot, Galeri des Ois. I, 1824, 67; pi. Iviii. 



Sp. Ch. — Upper parts generally, with head and neck all round, glossy black. A broad crescent across the upper part of the 

 breast, extending narrowly down to the belly, axillaries, and under wing coverts, carmine. Rest of under parts, rump and upper 

 tail coverts, middle wing coverts, spots on the tertiaries and inner great wing coverts, basal half of primaries and secondaries, 

 and a large patch on the ends of the inner webs of the outer three tail feathers, pure white. 



June 19, 1858. 



63 b 



