fringillid^e. 265 



the Pine Grosbeak: the culmen is curved towards the end ; whereas in the Arctic 

 specimen the bill is shorter and almost perfectly conic. Does this result from 

 age ? We think not. The future examination of more specimens may decide 

 the point. As for the Pyrrhula frontalis, Bon., the sexes of which are now 

 before us, it is not only clearly distinct from either, but belongs, in all probability, 

 to a different group. — Sw. 



This bird was seen by us on the banks of the Saskatchewan only, where it 

 feeds on willow-buds. It is a summer visitor, arriving in the month of May. — R. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed at Carlton House, May, 1827. 



Colour. — Head, rump, throat, and sides of the breast and belly crimson, inclining to lake ; 

 back, scapulars, wing coverts, and longer tail coverts the same, mixed with grey, and striped 

 in the centres with dark chocolate. Lores and region of the bill greyish -brown. Quills and 

 tail clove-brown, edged with crimson. Belly and under tail coverts ash-grey. Bill pale 

 horn-colour. Legs brown. 



Form. — Bill thick, short, conical, acute ; sides of both its mandibles swollen ; margin of 

 the upper mandible sinuated, its tip perfectly entire. Under mandible strong, equal to or 

 slightly exceeding the upper one. Nostrils small, concealed. Crown feathers narrow, 

 capable of erection. Wings. Four first quills nearly equal, the third being the longest ; 

 fifth almost half an inch shorter. Tail deeply forked. Tarsi stout, and shorter than the 

 middle toe. Claws much compressed : hind one longest, and fully curved. 









Dimensions 



















Of a male. 















Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin 





Inch. 



Lin. 



Length, total 



. 6 



3 



Length of bill to rictus 



. 



6* 



Length of middle claw 



. 



2£ 



„ of tail 



. 2 



5 



„ of tarsus . . 







»i 



„ of hind toe 







4* 



„ of wing 



. 3 



5 



,, of middle toe 



. 



6* 



„ of its claw 



. 



2f 



„ of bill above 



. 



5* 















[79.] 1. Linaria (Leucosticte) tephrocotis. (Swainson.) Grey-crowned 



I/innet. 



Sub-family, Coccothraustinae, Swains. Genus, Linaria, Auct. Sub-genus, Leucosticte, Sw. 



Ch. Sp. Linabja {Leucosticte) tephhocotis, castanea, vertice nigrescenti, occipite cinereo-albescenti, tectricibus 



alarum minoribus tectricxbusquce caudcB et hypochondriis apicibus roseis. 

 Sp. Ch. Grey-ceo wmd Finch, chestnut-brown; crown blackish; hind head greyish-white ; lesser wing covers, 



tail covers, and flanks, tipped with rosy-red. 



Plate l. 



This new and striking species, of which only a single specimen was obtained, 



2 m 



