136 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Pq^ilo cinerea, Peale, Zool. Exp. Exp. Vincennes, Birds, p. 123 (1st ed. 1848). ''^ 



Mem. Acad. St. Petersburg, 1831, Plate XI; Yoy. Favorite, Ois. 

 Plate XVII; Guerin's Mag. 1836, Plate IX. 



The Diuca is one of the most abundant of the birds of Chili, and is 

 contained in nearly all collections of birds brought from that country. 

 It is remarkable for its power and melody of voice, and for its fami- 

 liarity of manners, and is a general favorite with the people of Western 

 South America. 



Mr. Peale observes : 



" Female nearly of the same size and appearance as the male, but 

 lighter in color, and inclining to tawny on the back. 



" They were seen in considerable numbers during the month of 

 May, were commonly on the ground, and formed one of the charac- 

 teristics of the road from Valparaiso to St. Jago, in Chili. They 

 scratch amongst straw and other remains of food left by the oxen used 

 in carts to carry merchandise to and from the capital." 



24. Genus PHUYGILUS, Tschudi, Faun. Per. p. 217 (1846). 

 1. Phrtgilus alaudinus [Kittlitz). 



Fringilla alaucUna, KiTTLiTZ, Kupf. Naturgesh. Vog. p. 18 (1833). 

 Friiiijilla (^Nipluva) laciniata, Peale, Zool. Exp. Exp. Viucennes, Birds, p. 121 

 (1848). t 



* " Cinereous-gray ; throat and abdominal spot, white ; heels and vent, ferruginous ; 

 under tail-coverts white, edged with ferruginous ; tail, consisting of twelve feathers, 

 slightly rounded ; shafts black, the four middle feathers dark ashy-brown, the others 

 with white inner webs near the tip, the white occupies about half of the outer feathers, 

 and is graduated on the others to a mere spot on the fourth ; upper mandible, brown ; 

 lower mandible, bluish-white ; legs, dark brown ; iris, brown. 



"Total length, seven and three-fourths inches; wing from the carpal joint, four and 

 one-tenth inches; tail, three inches; tarsi, nine- tenths of an inch; middle toe, including 

 the claw, eight-tenths of an inch; claw, one-fourth of an inch; hind toe, thirteen- 

 twentieths of an inch; claw, seven-twentieths of an inch; bill, half an inch; to the 

 corner of the mouth, three-fourths of an inch. Male." 



I "Head, neck, breast, back, and wings, cinereous; scapulars brown, with fulvous 

 margins; dorsal plumage tipped with fulvous, and having a brown centre; abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts, pale cream color; wings, cinereous; primaries pale, sepia-brown, 



