TOWNSEND'S FINCH. 143 



the sides, and the lower with inflected acute edges; the gap-line nearly 

 straight, a little deflected at the base, and not extending to beneath the eye. 

 Nostrils basal, roundish, open, partially concealed by the feathers. Head 

 rather large, neck shortish; body robust. Legs of moderate length, rather 

 strong; tarsus shorter than the middle toe; covered anteriorly with a few 

 longish scutella; toes scutellate above, free, the lateral ones nearly equal; 

 claws slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind toe rather large. 



Plumage compact above, soft and blended beneath; wings short, curved, 

 rounded, the second, third and fourth quills longest, and nearly equal; the 

 first and fifth equal; tail longish, even, or slightly rounded. 



TOWNSEND'S FINCH. 

 t Fringilla Townsendi. 

 PLATE CLXXXVIL— Female. 



This species was discovered on the shores of the Columbia river, by Mr. 

 Towksend, who sent me a perfect specimen, ticketed "Female, February 

 15th, 1836," together with the following notice. "I found this species 

 numerous on the plains of the Colorado of the west, in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. It is a very active and rather shy bird, keeping constantly in the 

 low bushes of wormwood, and on the ground, in the vicinity. It appears to 

 be partially gregarious, six or eight being mostly seen together. Its voice is 

 a sharp quick chirp, and occasionally a low weak warble." It bears a con- 

 siderable resemblance to Fringilla iliaca of our Eastern Districts, but is 

 darker, and wants the light-coloured bands with which the wings of that 

 species are marked. Other differences will be found on comparing the 

 description with that of the bird above mentioned, to which, however, it is' 

 so nearly allied that it evidently belongs to the same subordinate group. 



Female, 7, 10 J. 



Colorado of the West. Rocky Mountains. 



Townsend's Finch, Fringilla Townsendi, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 236. 



Female. 



Bill short, rather robust, conical, acute; upper mandible rather broader 



