506 



U. S. p. E. E, EXP. AND SUEVEYS — ZOOLOGY— GENEEAL EEPOET. 



List of specimens. 



SPERMOPHILA, Swainson. 



Sptrmophila, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, Nov. 1837, 348. Type Pyrrhula falcirostris, Temm. (Sufficiently distinct 



from Spermophilus, F. Cuv. 1822. 

 Sporophila, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 148. Type Fringilla hypoUuca, Licht. 



Ch. — Bill very short and very much curved, as in Pyrrhula, almost as deep as long; the commissure concave, abruptly 

 bent towards the end. Tarsus about equal to middle toe ; inner toe rather the longer, (?) reaching about to the base of the 

 middle one ; hind toe to the middle of this claw. Wings short, reaching over the posterior third of the exposed part of the 

 tail ; the tertiaries gradually longer than the secondaries, neither much shorter than the primaries which are graduated, and 

 but little different in length, the first shorter than the sixth, the second and fourth equal. The tail is about as long as the 

 wings, rounded, all the feathers slightly graduated, rather sharply acuminate and decidedly mucrouate. Smallest of American 

 passerine birds. 



The essential characters of this genua are the small, very convex hill, as high as long ; the 

 short broad wings, with the quills differing little in length, the outer ones graduated ; the tail 

 as long as the wings, widened towards the end, and slightly graduated, with the acuminate and 

 mucronate tip to the feathers. 



As the name of Spermophila is sufficiently distinct from Spermophilus, of prior date, I see no 

 necessity for the change of name with Cabanis to Sporophila. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



SPERMOPHILA MOEELETII, Pucheran. 



Spermophila moreletii, (Pucheran,) Bonaf. Conspectus, 1850, 497.— Sclater, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1856, 302. 



Sporophila moreletii. Cab. Mus. Hein. 1831, 150. 



SpermopWaotoigtttoris, (Spix,) Lawrence, Ann, N. Y. Lyceum, V, Sept. 1851, 124. Texas. (NotofSpix.) 



