152 
MORTON’S FINCH. 
to the fourth as far as the second joint ; claws rather long, much com 
pressed, laterally grooved, moderately arched, acute. 
Plumage soft and blended. Wings of moderate length, the first quill 
two-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second, which is almost equal to 
the third, the latter being the longest, the fourth scarcely half a twelfth 
shorter, the rest slowly decreasing; secondaries long, truncate, or abruptly 
rounded. Tail of moderate length, nearly even, the middle feathers one 
twelfth, the lateral half a twelfth shorter than the rest. 
Bill dusky, bluish toward the base. Feet and claws yellowish-brown. 
The upper part of the head is ash-grey, with a longitudinal band of black on 
each side from the bill to the occiput, externally of which is a greyish-white 
band ; loral space, cheek-coverts, and aurieulars dusky, the feathers under 
the eye tipped with white ; the throat white, surrounded with a black 
band ; a light chestnut-red band surrounds the neck, except for a short 
space in front ; the fore part of the back and scapulars are light dull 
yellowish-red, streaked with brownish-black, the hind part, rump, and 
upper tail-coverts vellowish-grey ; the smaller wing-coverts yellowish-grey, 
the first row brownish-black toward the end, with the tip white, the 
secondary coverts and inner secondary quills brownish-black, broadly mar- 
gined with light yellowish-red, the former tipped with white, the rest of 
the quill dusky brown, edged with yellowish-red, fading on the outer to 
whitish ; the tail-feathers blackish-brown, narrowly edged with pale yel- 
lowish-grey, the lateral of a lighter tint. The lower parts are dull 
brownish-white, the sides light greyish-brown, the lower wing-coverts yel- 
lowish-white. 
Length to end of tail 5i inches; bill along the ridge r 4 |, along the edge 
of lower mandible wing from flexure 2}|-; tail 2fV, tarsus T | ; hind toe 
=!, its claw middle toe T 7 ,-, its claw fL 
In its colouring this bird is very similar to the White-crowned and 
White-chinned Finches, with which it also agrees in the form of its wings, 
bnt differs in having the tail much shorter, the bill less robust, the claws 
proportionally longer and less arched. 
