PINE GROSBEAK. 81 



The Pine Grosbeak measures nine inches in length, and four^ 

 teen inches in extent; the head, neck, breast and rump is of a rich 

 crimson, palest on the breast; the feathers on the middle of the 

 back are centered with arrow-shaped spots of black, and skirted 

 with crimson, which gives the plumage a considerable flush of red 

 there; those on the shoulders are of a deep slate color, partially 

 skirted with red and light ash. The greater wing-coverts and next 

 superior row are broadly tipt with white, and slightly tinged with 

 reddish; wings and tail black, edged with light brown; tail con- 

 siderably forked ; lower part of the belly ash color ; vent feathers 

 skirted with white, and streaked with black; legs glossy black; 

 bill a brownish horn color, very thick, short and hooked at the 

 point; the upper mandible overhanging the lower considerably, 

 approaching in its form to that of the parrot; base of the bill co^ 

 vered with recumbent hairs of a dark brown color. The whole 

 plumage, near the roots, as in most other birds, is of a deep bluish 

 ash color. The female was half an inch shorter, and answered 

 nearly to the above description ; only, those parts that in the male 

 were crimson^ were in her of a dirty yellowish color. The female, 

 according to Forster, referred to above, has those parts which in 

 the male are red, more of an orange tint; and he censures Edwards 

 for having represented the female of too bright a red. It is pos- 

 sible, that my specimen of the female might have been a bird of 

 the first season, not come to its full colors. Those figured by Mr. 

 Edwards^ were both brought from Hudson's Bay, and appear to be 

 the same with the one now before us, tho his coloring of the female 

 differs materially from his description. 



If this, as Mr. Pennant asserts, be the same species with that 

 of the eastern continent, it would seem to inhabit almost the whole 

 extent of the arctic regions. It is found in the north of Scotland, 

 where Pennant suspects it breeds. It inhabits Europe as far north 



*- Edw. vol. Ill, p. 124. 



Y 



