FRINGILLID^. 259 



[74.] 5. Fringilla hyemalis. (Linn.) Black Finch. 



Genus, Fringilla, Linn. Sub-genus, P 



Fringilla hyemalis. Linn. Syst., edit. 10, ann. 1757 ; nee tamen Gmelin, nee Lath. 

 Fringilla Hudsonias. Forster, Phil. Trans., lxii., p. 406, No. 30 ; and p. 428, No. 5. 

 Black Bunting. Lath. Syn., ii., p. 166, sp. 4. Penn. Arct. Zool, ii., p. 359, No. 225. 

 Snow-bird {Fringilla nivalis). Wii-son, ii., p. 129, pi. 16, f. 6. 

 Fringilla hyemalis. Bonap. Syn., p. 109, No. 173. 

 Pawkaw-choweeseesh. Cree Indians. 



This is a very common and familiar bird in the United States, approaching 

 the towns and farm-yards in the winter ; but retiring to the high ranges of the 

 Alleghanies and the Rocky Mountains in the breeding season. It is merely a 

 summer resident of the fur-countries, and is not common, nor was it seen by us 

 beyond the fifty-seventh parallel. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a specimen, killed at Penetanguishene, on Lake Huron. 



Colour. — Head, throat, breast, flanks, inner wing coverts, and dorsal plumage greyish- 

 black, paler towards the rump. Quills clove-brown, edged with grey. Central tail feathers 

 brownish-black ; the three outer pairs white, the third tipped outwardly and striped at the 

 base with brown. Belly and under tail coverts white. Bill and legs pale flesh-colour. 



Form. — Bill rather small ; upper mandible slightly notched ; the margins much inflexed. 

 First quill three-tenths of an inch shorter than the three following ones : the third and fourth 

 equal and longest. Tail emarginate a quarter of an inch deep *. Tarsus and middle toe 

 equal, the latter being much developed : inner toe shorter than the outer one. All the claws 

 fine, slender, and but slightly curved. 



Dimensions. 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch, Lin. 



Length, total . . .64 Length of bill above . .0 5 Length of middle toe . . 7 



,, of tail . .29 „ of bill to rictus . 5f „ of its nail ..03 



„ of folded wing ,3 !•§ „ of tarsus . . 10 ,, of hind nail . .0 4 



* In my specimen, the tail is also emarginate ; but the two exterior pairs of feathers are rounded, the outer pair 

 being shorter than the next, which are again shorter than the third pair. — Sw. 



2 L 2 



