GREY-CROWNED PURPLE-FINCH. 177 



Linaria (Leccosticte) tephrocotis, Swainson's Grey-crowned Linnet, Swains, and 



Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 265. 

 Grey-crowned Linnet, Fringilla tephrocotis, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 232. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, thick, conical, its upper and lower outlines straight, the ridge 

 and sides convex, the edges inflected, the gap-line slightly arched, but at the 

 base a little deflected. Nostrils basal, round, concealed by short bristly 

 feathers. 



Head rather large, broadly ovate; neck short; body moderate. Feet of 

 moderate length; tarsus of the same length as the middle toe and claw, 

 compressed, anteriorly scutellate, with two lateral plates meeting behind so 

 as to form a sharp edge; hind toe stout, lateral toes nearly equal. Claws 

 rather long, arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind toe largest. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, pointed; the second quill longest, 

 the first slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries rounded. 

 Tail of moderate length, emarginate, the middle-feathers a quarter of an 

 inch shorter than the longest. 



Bill black; tarsi and claws dusky brown. The general colour of the 

 plumage is dark umber-brown; the feathers margining the bill whitish; the 

 upper part of the head ash-grey, spotted with black anteriorly; the first row 

 of smaller wing-coverts, the feathers of the rump and the upper tail-coverts 

 are broadly edged and tipped with rose-red, as are the feathers of the sides 

 and the lower tail-coverts, of which however the tint is paler. The quills, 

 larger coverts, and tail-feathers, are dusky brown; the primary and secondary 

 coverts edged with dull red, the quills and tail-feathers with brownish-white. 



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

 lower mandible ff; wing from flexure 4; tail 2 T V; tarsus -ff; hind toe -^, its 

 claw T \; middle toe T 6 2, its claw f|. 



