390 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES — OSCINES. 
90. 
291. 
91, 
Fig. 251.— Bill of Guiraca, nat. 
size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) 
(J, but the white spots reduced or obsolete. Bill light-colored below. In the ^ the ten- 
dency is to perfectly black head, back, tail, and wings, the two former pure and continuous, 
the two latter boldly spotted with white as described ; but such ftiultless full dress is not often 
seen. This stylish Western representative of the elegant rose-breast is common in suitable 
woodland from the Plains to the Pacific, U. S., wintering in Mexico, breeding throughout its 
U. S. range ; its habits are the same ; its nest and eggs are 
indistinguishable. 
bird. Fig. 251) Blue Grosbeaks. Bill with commissure 
strongly angulated far beyond base, with deep under mandible 
and bristly rictus as in Zamelodia, but not so swollen, the cul- 
men nearly straight. Wings long and pointed, folding about 
the middle of the tail ; tip formed by the 2d-4th quills, 1st 
little shorter, 5th rapidly graduated. Tail shorter than wings, 
even. Tarsus rather less than middle toe and claw; outer 
lateral toe slightly longer than the inner, but scarcely reaching 
base of middle claw. One species, large, ^ blue, 9 l>rown. 
G. coeru'lea. (Lat. coerulea, cerulean. Fig. 252.) Blue Grosbeak. Adult ^ : Eich dark 
blue, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish across middle of back ; feathers around base of bill, 
wings and tail, black; middle and greater wing-coverts tipped with chestnut; bill dark horn- 
blue, paler below; feet blackish. Length 6.50-7.00; extent 10.50-11.00; wing 3.30-3.60 ; tail 
2.75-3.00; bill 0.60-0.67 ; tarsus 0.75; middle toe and claw rather more. 9 smaller, plain 
warm brown above, paler and rather flaxen-brown below, sometimes whitey-bro\ATi on throat 
and belly, or with slight streaks on 
belly and crissum ; wings and tail fus- 
cous, sometimes slightly bluish-glossed 
or edged, the former with whitey-brown 
cross-bars ; bill and feet brown. Young 
at first like 9 ; when changing, 
shows confused brown and blue ; after- 
ward, blue interrupted with, white be- 
low. U. S., from Atlantic to Pacific, 
but southerly ; rarely N. to Massachu- 
setts, and even Maine ; winters wholly 
extralimital ; breeds throughout its U. S. 
range. Its limit of northward migra- 
tion with regularity and in any numbers 
is about the latitude of Philadelphia. 
Fig. 252. -Blue Grosbeak, reduced. (Sbeppard del. Nichols sc.) Nest in bushes, vines or other shrub- 
bery, sometimes a low tree, of grasses and rootlets; eggs 4-5, averaging 0.90 X 0.65, palest 
bluish, normally unspotted ; quite like those of the indigo-bird, but larger. 
PASSERI^NA. (Lat. passerinus, sparrow-like : not well applied to these matchless ones.") 
Painted Finches. Bill relatively smaller and weaker than in the last, with less conspicuous 
angulation, the culmen regularly a little convex, the gonys nearly straight. Outer 4 primaries 
longest ; 1st usually between 4th and 5th, the latter much shorter. Tail little shorter than wing, 
about even or emarginate. Feet moderate ; tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw ; 
lateral toes about equal to each other, their claws falling short of base of middle claw. 
Embracing several elegant finches of small size ; the males of very showy hues, especially 
blue, but also red, purple, yellow, and green, usually in masses ; the females of simple and 
tasteful greenish or brownish shades. 
