350 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES — OSCINES. 
grasses, hair, feathers, etc. ; eggs 3-4, 0.75 X 0.57, pale greenish, spotted and dotted about 
larger end with dark purplish-brown, with lavender shell-markings. 
300. L. c. mexica'na. Mexican Cross-bill. Like the last; the bill larger, 0.75 or more long, 
the under mandible especially more robust. Southern Rocky Mts. and southward on the table 
lands of Mexico. 
67. LEUCOSTIC'TE. \€vk6s, leitJws, \y\ute-, ariKT^, sticte, yaried. Fig. 215.) Rosy Finches. 
Bill small, conic-acute, ruffed at base with antrorse plumules meeting over culmen and con- 
cealing the short nasal fossae and small nostrils. Side of under mandible (in typical species) 
with a sharp ridge running obliquely upward and forward. Culmen ridged between two slight 
depressions parallel with itself, gently convex throughout. No obvious angulation of commis- 
sural edge of upper mandible ; that of lower with decided bend ; gonys straight. Wings long, 
folding beyond middle of tail, tipped by first 3 primaries, 4th shorter. Tail of moderate length, 
forked, its feathers rather broad, its coverts reaching about i way to end. Tarsus not shorter 
than middle toe without claw ; lateral toes unequal, inner shorter, its claw not reaching base 
of middle claw. Hind claw about as long as its digit, more curved and longer than middle 
claw. Sexes somewhat dissimilar. Coloration peculiar j usually chocolate-brown, enriched 
with rose or carmine, shaded with silvery-gray or black; one species mostly silvery-gray. The 
American representative of the Old World genus Montifringilla. Terrestrial, highly gre- 
garious ; nest on ground ; eggs immaculate w^hite. Numerous species of this very interesting 
genus are scarcely stable; I jjresent the forms that are usually recognizable. The nearest 
American relative is ^giotlius ; the general economy is more that of Plectrophanes. 
Anal)/ sis of Species. 
Under mandible ridged. Body-color chocolate-brown or darker. 
No asli on head (Colorado) < . australis 202 
Ash on head confined to the top. 
Coloration blackish (Colorado) atrata 201 
Coloration chocolate (W. America) tephrocotis 203 
Ash spreading on sides of head. 
Smaller : wing 4.20. (W. America) . litoralis 204 
Larger : wing 4.60. (Alaska) griseinucha 205 
Under mandible smooth. ^ 
Dusky -purplish and silvery-gray, with rosy arctoa 206 
201. L. atra'ta. (Lat. atrata, blackened.) Ridgway's Rosy Finch. Sexes unlike. ^, in 
April : Pattern of coloration and distribution of tints as in tephrocotis proper (see beyond) ; 
nasal tufts white, and occiput ashy, as in that species, but the chocolate-brown of tephrocotis 
replaced by black, deepest anteriorly and on under parts, sooty -browish on the back. Bill 
black (April) or yellow (September). Size of tephrocotis. 9? April: Black of $ repre- 
sented by dark slate-gray, more brownish on back, the rosy markings duller and more restricted; 
size rather less. This form occurs in the mountains of Colorado and Utah. We know neither 
the summer nor winter plumage of this bird; no winter plumage nor whereabouts of australis; 
nor young nor breeding plumage of tephrocotis ; — points to be ascertained before we can decide 
the status of several alleged species of the genus. 
202. L.. austra'lis. (LslI. australis, sonihem.) Allen's Rosy FiNCH. Sexes unlike. breed- 
ing plumage: Rich chocolate or umber-brown, the feathers of the back with darker shaft-lines 
and paler edges, those of the under parts darker and somewhat purjilish-brown. Red parts of 
the body heightened to intense crhnson, extending farther forward than in tephrocotis, some- 
times skirting all the feathers of the under parts ; especially strong on the wing- and tail-coverts 
and belly. No pure ash whatever on head ; whole pileum black or blackish, purest anteriorly, 
duller behind. Nasal tufts white. Bill and feet black. Length 6.75 ; wing 4.00-4.40, aver- 
aging in 69 specimens 4.30; tail 2.80-3.35, average 3.10; bill 0.45 ; tarsus 0.75. When not 
in highest feather, carmine toned down to more pink or rosy. In winter, bill yellow, changing 
to black through various cloudings. 9 , in summer : While generally like J' , having black 
