LOXIA.— COCCOTHEAU8TE8. 425 



meccicana for this bird. When either Spiza americana or Pyrmga rubra has to be 

 called Loxia mexicana a confusion will certainly arise, and then the name stricklandi 

 will be useful. But is this likely to happen ? 



Very little has been recorded of L. mexicana in Mexico. Strickland's type came 

 into his possession in 1840, and formed part of a collection made by T. Mann probably 

 in the Mexican highlands *. Sumichrast only obtained a single specimen at Moyoapam 

 in the alpine region of Orizaba, at an elevation of about 8200 feet above the sea ^, 

 Other examples have been secured by White, Boucard, de Oca, and others. 



In Guatemala we only met with L. mexicana on one occasion (in September 1861), 

 when descending from the ridge which divides the plain of Salama from the valley of 

 the Motagua. Several birds were feeding in some pine-trees. As we were unable to 

 secure specimens there is some uncertainty as to whether these birds were really 

 identical with L. mexica/na, but we have not much doubt on the point. 



L. mexicana doubtless has the irregular habits of L. curmrostra and L. americana, 

 which wander from place to place without having any definite migrations. They breed, 

 too, at various seasons, often in midwinter. 



COCCOTHRAUSTES. 



Coceothraustes, Brisson, Orn. iii. p. 318 (1760). 



Hesperiphona, Bp. Compt. Kend. xxxi. p. 434 j Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. %, p. 343. 



Coceothraustes with its subgenus Hes;periphona contains four or five species, and 

 is distributed over a large portion of the Nearctic and Palsearctic Eegions — its 

 distribution being somewhat similar to that of Carpodacus, except that Coceothraustes 

 vulgaris is not an uncommon bird in the British Islands, where Carpodacus is 

 practically unknown. In America two species occur — C. vespertinus in the Western 

 States and Mexico^ and C. abeillwi in Southern Mexico and Guatemala. The type of 

 Coceothraustes (C. vulgaris) is peculiar in having the secondary feathers of the wings 

 splayed out at their extremities ; no formation of this kind is present in the American 

 species. 



The bill of C. vespertinus is very stout and tumid towards the base, especially of the 

 maxilla, the culmen is nearly straight towards the base, but decurved towards the 

 extremity, the tomia is gradually curved from the rictus and not angulated. The 

 nostrils are completely hidden by stiff bristly black feathers springing from the base of 

 the maxiUa and lying close to it. The feet are moderate, the tarsus being shorter 

 than the middle toe and claw, the lateral toes being short with small claws. The wing 

 is long and pointed, the first, second, and third quills forming the wing end, the rest 

 rapidly decreasing in length, the longest secondaries being a little longer than the 

 shortest primaries. The tail is short and slightly furcate. 



BIOL. CENTK.-AMBE., Aves, Vol. I., November 1886. 54 



