62 MANUAL 



interest and well worth a great deal of very careful study. It 

 is not intended to be strictly scientific, being more a natural 

 grouping of like with like ; yet it will not be very difficult to 

 compare it with our present systems of classification, as, for 

 the most part, the geuera treated of and named are of the 

 same equivalence as our present ones. 



" Family Fringillidce. 

 I divide all the United States species into 4 sub-families, 

 briefly characterizable as follows : — 



1. Coccothraustin^:. — Bill variable, from enormously large 



to quite small ; with the base of the upper mandible 

 almost always provided with a close-pressed fringe of 

 bristly feathers (more or less conspicuous) concealing 

 the nostrils. Wings very long and pointed, usually 

 one-half to one-third longer than the forked or emar- 

 ginate tail. Tarsi short, 



2. Spizellin^. — Embracing all the plain-colored, sparrow- 



like species marked with longitudinal stripes. Bill 

 conical, always rather small ; both mandibles about 

 equal. Tarsi lengthened. Wings and tail variable. 

 Lateral claws never reaching beyond the base of the 

 middle claw. 



3. Passeeellin^e. — Sparrow-like species with triangular 



spots beneath. Legs, toes, and claws very stout ; the 

 lateral claws reaching nearly to the end of the mid- 

 dle ones. 



4. Spizin^e. — Brightly-colored species usually without any 



streaks. Bill usually very large and much curved ; 

 lower mandible wider than the upper. Wings mod- 

 erately long. Tail variable. 



Under sub-family 1 we have, 



A. — Bill enormously large and slout; the lateral outline as 

 long as that of the skull. Culmen gently curved. 



Gents, Hesperiphona. 



