511 



CUBA FINCH. 

 (Fringilla IVlaia.) 



Fr. purpurascens, fascia pectoralis saturation. 



Purplish Finch, with a darker fascia on the breast. 



Fringilla Maia. Lin. Si/st. Nat. 1. 323. 35.—Gmel. Syst. Nat, 



I. 524. — Briss. 3. 214. 66. U 7. /. 3. — Lath Ind. Orrt. l. 



462. gti 



Le Maia de la Cuba. Buffi Hist. Nat. Ois. 105. 3.— Buff. PL 



Enl. wg. f. 2. 

 Cuba Finch. Lath. Gen. Syn. 3. 315. 80. 



This destructive bird is a native of Cuba : it is 

 in length near four inches : its beak is grey : the 

 head, neck, and under parts of the body, are 

 dusky : the breast with a band of purplish chesnut ; 

 of which colour are also the back^ upper parts of 

 the body, and tail: quills grey-brown, with ches- 

 nut margins: legs lead-coloured : female with the 

 head, neck, upper parts of the body, quills, and 

 tail, fulvous : throat purplish chesnut, with a spot 

 of that colour on each side of the breast ; the rest 

 of the under parts dirty yellowish white : legs and 

 beak greyish. 



This species is very destructive to the rice-fields: 

 it is gregarious, and its flesh is considered to be 

 very good eating. 



