511 



CUBA FINCH. 



(Fringilla Maia.) 



Vv. purpurascens, fascia pectoralis saturatiore. 



Purplish Finch, with a darker fascia on the breast. 



Fringilla Maia. Lin. Syst. Nat. 1. 323. 35.— Gmel. Syst. Nat. 



1. £24. — Briss. 3. 214. 66. t. J. f. 3. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 



462. 96. 

 Le Maia de la Cuba. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 105. 3.— Buff. PL 



Enl. 109. /. 2. 

 Cuba Finch. Lath. Gen. Syn. 3. 315. 86. 



This destructive bird is a native of Cuba : it is 

 in length near four inches : its beak is grey : the 

 head, neck, and under parts of the body, are 

 dusky : the breast with a band of purplish chesnut ; 

 of which colour are also the back, upper parts of 

 the body, and tail: quills grey-brown, with ches- 

 nut margins: legs lead-coloured : female with the 

 head, neck, upper parts of the body, quills, and 

 tail, fulvous : throat purplish chesnut, with a spot 

 of that colour on each side of the breast ; the rest 

 of the under parts dirty yellowish white : legs and 

 beak greyish. 



This species is very destructive to the rice-fields: 

 it is gregarious, and its flesh is considered to be 

 very good eating. 



