352 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



206. Li. arcto'a. (Gr. d/jKTwos, arMoios, northern.) Pallas's Rosy Finch. Dusky-purplish; 

 neck above pale yellowish ; forehead and nasal feathers blackish ; outer webs of quiUs and 

 Tving-coverts, tail-coverts, rump and crissuui silvery-gray, rosy-margined. Kurile and Aleu- 

 tian Islands; Siberia. Subgenerically different from any of tlio foregoing. 



68. ^EGI'OTHUS. (Gr. Aiyio^os, nom. propr. Fig. 216.) Red-poll Lixnets. Bill small, 

 short, straight, very acute, more or less compressed, the lateral outlines usually a little concave, 

 those of culmen and gonys straight ; commissure straight to the slight angulation. Base of bill 

 thickly beset with a ruflf of antrorse plumules, concealing the small nasal fossae and round 

 nostrils. Wings longer than tail, pointed by first 3 primaries. 

 Tail rather long for this group, forked. Feet small and weak, 

 but tarsi longer than middle toe without claw ; lateral toes of 

 equal lengths, their claw-tips falling beyond base of middle claw. 

 Hind claw much longer, stouter and more curved than the mid- 

 dle, exceeding its digit in length. Size small; plumage streaky 

 with dusky, white, and flaxen colors, crown crimson, face and 

 throat blackish ; sexes otherwise dissimilar ; $ with rosy or 

 carmine on breast, wanting in $ . Scarcely different from lAnota 

 {flavi/rostris, etc.) the pattern of coloration being the most avail- 

 able distinction. Arboreal, gregarious, highly boreal finches of 

 circumpolar distribution, breeding in high latitudes and alpine 

 regions, roving south in winter in great fiocks. The species are 

 much involved ; we have four recognizable forms. 



Analysis of Species. 

 Tarsus as long as middle toe and claw. Heavily streaked below. Kump always fully streaked. 



Smaller: length about 5.50; wing 3.00; bill moderate (N. Am, at large) liiuxria 



Larger: length about 6.00; wing 3.25; bill immoderate (Canada, etc.) holboelli 



Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw. Lightly or scarcely streaked below. Bump of adult cf immacu- 

 late white to some extent. 

 Smaller: length about 5.50; wing 3.00. Bill and feet small (Brit. Am., scarcely U. S.) . . . emlipes 

 Larger; length about 6.00; wing 3.30. Bill and feet large (Greenland) TwrTiemamii 



207. -^^ lina'ria. (Lat. Ima/i-ia, fiaxen ; a linnet. Fig. 217.) Common Red-poll. Adult 



Fig. 210. — Details ot^gio- 

 thus (-£". Jtomemanni, nat. sizeJ. 

 (From Elliot) 



207 

 208 



210 

 209 



Frontlet, lores, and throat-spot sooty-blaek, 



Eled-poU, reduced. (Shep- 



paru 



Like 9 > but the <J soon showing rosy. 



Crown crimson. Above, variegated vrith brown- 

 ish-yellow and dusky, the feathers having dark 

 centres and flaxen edges. Rump streaked with 

 dusky and white, and tinged with rosy, more or 

 less so according to age and season. Below, 

 white, the sides and crissum streaked with dusky, 

 the entire fore-parts colored with rose-red more 

 or less rich and extensive according to same cir- 

 cumstances. Wings and tail dusky, the feathers 

 edged with whitish, the middle and greater 

 coverts tipped with the same, forming two cross- 

 bars. BUI black or yellow, usually found yel- 

 low with dusky tip and edges. Feet blackish. 

 Length 5.50; extent 9.00; wing 3.00; tail 

 2.50; bill 0.33; tarsus 0.65; middle toe and 

 claw the same. Adult 9 ; Wanting entirely 

 or having but a trace of rosy on the rump and 

 under parts. Breast with a dingy yellowish wash, 

 streaked with dusky. Slightly smaller. Young : 

 Young may usually be distinguished from the adult ? by 



