X96 PRAIRIE LARK-FINCH. 



height in the air, and poising themselves over their companions, with their 

 wings in constant and rapid motion, they become nearly stationary. In this 

 situation they pour forth a number of very lively and sweetly modulated 

 notes, and at the expiration of about a minute descend to the ground, and 

 course about as before. I never observed this bird to the west of the Black 

 Hills." 



Mr. Nuttall's notice respecting it is as follows: — "On the 24th of May, 

 soon after crossing the north branch of the Platte, we met with this very 

 interesting species of Fringilla. The males associated in flocks with the 

 Cow-birds, uttering a most delightful song. Towards evening in particular, 

 we sometimes saw them in all directions around us on the hilly grounds, 

 rising to a little height, hovering and flapping their wings, at the same time 

 singing something like weet, weet, wt, wt, wt, notes betwixt the hurried 

 warble of the Bob-o-link, and the melody of the Sky Lark. It is in short 

 one of the sweetest songsters of the prairie, is tame and unsuspicious, the 

 whole employment of the little band being an ardent emulation of song." 



Fringilla bicolor, Prairie Finch, Towns., Jour. Acad. Nat.. Sc. Phil., vol. vii. p. 189. 

 Prairie Finch, Fringilla bicolor, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 19. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, robust, conical, compressed; upper mandible a little narrower, 

 with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the ridge slightly prolonged on 

 the forehead, the sides convex and bulging, the edges direct, the gap-line 

 nearly straight, deflected at the base, the tip sharp and a little exceeding that 

 of the lower mandible; the angle of the latter short and very broad, the 

 dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the back broad, the sides rounded, 

 the edges inflected, the tip pointed. Nostrils basal, oval, in a very short 

 deep depression, nearly concealed by the feathers. 



Head rather large; neck short; body full. Feet of ordinary length, rather 

 strong; tarsus of moderate length, compressed, anteriorly covered with 

 seven scutella, behind with two plates meeting so as to form a very thin 

 edge; toes of moderate size, the hind toe stouter, the lateral equal. Claws 

 rather long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, tapering to a very 

 acute point. 



Plumage soft and blended, the feathers ovate and rounded. There are 

 distinct but small bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Wings of 

 moderate length; the outer three quills nearly equal, the second being 

 longest, the fourth slightly shorter than the third; outer secondaries broadly 

 rounded and emarginate; inner tapering to a rounded point, one of them, 

 when the wiag is closed, little shorter than the outer primaries. Tail of 



