392 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. -^PASSERES — OSCINES. 
92. 
296. 
93. 
297. 
no whitish wing-bars; upper mandible blackish, lower pale, with the black stripe just 
mentioned, — this is a pretty constant feature, and Mali distinguish the species from any of our 
Eastern little brown birds. Young $ : Like the 9 , but soon shows blue traces, and afterward 
_ is blue with white variegation below. 
Size of the foregoing. Eastern U. S., N. 
to Maine and Canada ; W. to Kansas, 
Indian Temtory, and Texas; winters 
wholly extralimital ; breeds throughout 
its N. A. range. Abundant in fields and 
open woodland, in summer ; a well mean- 
ing but rather weak vocalist, whose low 
rambling strain is delivered as if the little 
performer were tired or indifi'erent. Nest 
in the crotch of a bush, large for the size 
of the bird, and not at all artistic ; eggs 
usually 4-5, averaging 0.72 X 0.52, white 
with a faint blue shade, and normally 
Fig. 253. — Indigo-bird, reduced 
SPERMO'PHILA. (Gr. 
(Sliei)pard del. Nichols sc. ) 
plain, though not seldom a little speckled. 
(TTrepua, sperma, seed; 0t'Xoy, xjMIos^ loving.) Pygmy Finches. 
Bill like that of a bullfinch in miniature, short and extremely turgid ; swollen in all directions, 
culmen convex nearly in the sextant of a circle ; cutting edge of upper mandible very concave ; 
gonys short, about straight in outline. Wings short and greatly rounded ; 2d-4th quills 
longest, 1st, 5th, and even 6th, little shorter, and secondaries nearly covering primaries in the 
closed wing. Tail rather shorter than wings, slightly rounded, with abruptly pointed tips of 
the feathers. Tarsus equal to middle toe and claw, and lateral toes to each other, their claws 
about reaching base of middle claw. A large C. and S. Am. genus of pygniy finches, one of 
which reaches our border; our most diminutive fringilline (but Phonipara is about the same). 
S. morelet'i. (To one Morelet.) Morelet's Pygmy Finch. Little Seed -eater. ^ : 
Top and sides of head, back of neck, broad band across upper part of breast, middle of back, 
wings, and tail, black ; chin, upper throat, neck nearly all around, rump, and remaining under 
parts, white, the latter often tinged with pale buff ; two wing-bands, and bases of all the quills, 
also white, that on the secondaries hidden by the coverts, that on the primaries forming an 
exposed spot ; inner secondaries usually edged with white ; tail-feathers sometimes with 
obscurely w^hitish tip. Bill blue-black ; feet dark. 9 olivaceous -brown above, brownish- 
yellow or dull buft' below ; wings with whitish bars, but no white bases of quills ; bill brown ; 
feet dark. Length about 4.00 ; wing 2.00-2.10 ; tail 1.90 ; tarsus 0.60. Mexico to Texas, in 
the Lower Rio Grande valley. 
PHONI'PARA. (Gr. ^coi/J7, p/io^^e, sound, voice ; Lat. ^an'o, I produce : badly formed.) Grass 
Quits. Bill small, acute, culmen slightly convex, commissure about straight to the angulation 
at base. Wings short, rounded, 2d-5tli primaries subequal and little longer than 1st, 6th, 7jh. 
Tail stiU shorter, about even. Tarsus if anything shorter than middle toe and claw ; lateral 
toes subequal to each other in length, scarcely reaching base of middle toe. A West Indian 
genus of diminutive finches, one of which occurs in Florida, 
P. ze'na. (Vox harh. ; perhaps proper name.) Black-faced Grass Quit. ^, adult: 
Upper parts, including exposed surfaces of wings and tail, dull olivaceous, passing on the face, 
throat, and breast, into sooty-black, fading on other under parts into olive-gray, more or less 
varied with whitish ; wings and tail unmarked ; no decided demarcation of colors anywhere. 
Bill blue-black ; feet dark brown. 9 lighter olivaceous, passing to olive-ashy where the ^ 
is black; bill pale belo\v; feet light brown. Length about 4.00 ; wing 2.00-2.10 ; tail 1.75. 
West Indies and Florida. One of the common house finches in various West Indian Islands ; 
