152 MORTON'S FINCH. 



the fourth as far as the second joint; claws rather long, much compressed, 

 laterally grooved, moderately arched, acute. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings of moderate length, the first quill two- 

 twelfths -of an inch shorter than the second, which is almost equal to the 

 third, the latter being the longest, the fourth scarcely half a twelfth shorter, 

 the rest slowly decreasing; secondaries long, truncate or abruptly rounded. 

 Tail of moderate length, nearly even, the middle feathers one-twelfth, the 

 lateral half a twelfth shorter than the rest. 



Bill dusky, bluish toward the base. Feet and claws yellowish-brown. 

 The upper part of the head is ash-grey, with a longitudinal band of black on 

 each side from the bill to the occiput, externally of which is a greyish-white 

 band; loral space, cheek-coverts, and auriculars dusky, the feathers under the 

 eye tipped with white; the throat white, surrounded with a black band; a 

 light chestnut-red band surrounds the neck, except for a short space in front; 

 the fore part of the back and scapulars are light dull yellowish-red, streaked 

 with brownish-black, the hind part, rump, and upper tail-coverts yellowish- 

 grey; the smaller wing-coverts yellowish-grey, the first row brownish-black 

 toward the end, with the tip white, the secondary coverts and inner secondary 

 quills brownish-black, broadly margined with light yellowish-red, the former 

 tipped with white, the rest of the quill dusky brown, edged with yellowish- 

 red fading on the outer to whitish; the tail-feathers blackish-brown, narrowly 

 edged with pale yellowish-grey, the lateral of a lighter tint. The lower 

 parts are dull brownish-white, the sides light greyish-brown, the lower wing- 

 coverts 3'ellowish-white. 



Length to end of tail 5^ inches; bill along the ridge f |, along the edge of 

 lower mandible T 6 .,-; wing from flexure 2||; tail 2 T \, tarsus y|; hind toe jp|, 

 its claw -^1; middle toe T 7 2, its claw -ff. 



In its colouring this bird is very similar to the White-crowned and White- 

 chinned Finches, with which it also agrees in the form of its wings, but 

 differs in having the tail much shorter, the bill less robust, the claws pro- 

 portionally longer and less arched. 



