176 GREY-CROWNED PURPLE-FINCH. 



plates meeting so as to form a very sharp edge; toes scutellate above, free, 

 the lateral nearly equal. Claws slender, arched, much compressed, acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, the wing-coverts compact. Wings of moderate 

 length, the third primary longest, the fourth scarcely shorter, the second 

 less than one-twelfth shorter than the third, and exceeding the first by one- 

 twelfth. Tail long, broad, emarginate and divaricate, the middle feathers 

 only a twelfth and a half shorter than the longest, which is the third from 

 the lateral, the latter being of the same length as the middle. 



Bill brown above, paler beneath. Iris brown. Feet and claws light 

 brown. Forehead and a band over the eye, proceeding down the neck, 

 crimson; throat, fore part of breast and sides, with the rump, rich carmine, 

 the latter paler. The upper parts greyish-brown, the head, hind neck, and 

 fore part of the back slightly tinged with red; quills, coverts, and tail-feathers 

 dusky and edged with pale brownish-grey, the first row of small coverts 

 rather conspicuously tipped with a lighter tint of the same. Short bristly 

 feathers at the base of the bill greyish-yellow; loral space and ear-coverts, 

 light grey; the hind part of the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts 

 yellowish-white, streaked with dusky. 



Length to end of tail 6| inches; bill along the ridge -ff , along the edge of 

 lower mandible -ff ; wing from flexure 3-£; tail 3|; tarsus T S 2; hind toe yf, its 

 claw f|; middle toe f|, its claw T V 



GREY-CROWNED P U R P L E- F I N C H. 



-Erythrospiza tephrocotis, Sivains. 

 PLATE CXCV1IL— Male. 



This species, which in form and proportion is allied to Erythrospiza 

 purpurea on the one hand, and to E. cannabina on the other, is of extremely 

 rare occurrence, a single specimen only being mentioned as having been 

 obtained by Dr. Richardson on the Saskatchewan, in May 1827, from 

 which my figure was taken. 



Male, 6; wing, 4. 



Saskatchewan river. Very rare. Migratory. 



