THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 
213 
Adult Male. 
Bill short, robust, bulging at the base, conical, acute ; upper mandible 
with its dorsal outline a little convex, the sides rounded, the edges sharp ; 
lower mandible with its dorsal outline a little convex, the sides rounded, 
the edges inflected ; the gap-line is deflected at the base ; then straight to 
the end. Nostrils basal, roundish, open, partly concealed by the feathers. 
Head rather large, neck short, general form robust. Legs of moderate 
length, rather strong ; tarsus anteriorly covered with few scutella, the 
upper long, posteriorly sharp ; toes scutellate above, free, the lateral ones 
nearly equal ; claws slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind 
toe not much larger. 
Plumage soft and blended, but firm and elastic. Wings of moderate 
length, broad, the second, third, and fourth quills longest, the secondaries 
rounded. Tail longish, slightly emarginate, of twelve rounded feather® 
Bill white. Iris hazel. Feet greyish-blue. The head all round, inciuu 
ing the upper part of the neck, the hind neck, the back, wings, and tail, 
glossy black ; the first row of coverts, the tips of the secondary coverts, the 
basal half of the primary quills, and the inner webs towards the end of the 
three lateral tail-feathers, white, as is the rump, that part, however, being 
spotted with black. Lower neck and middle of the breast of a bright 
carmine tint ; lower wing coverts white, tinged with carmine. 
Length 71 inches, extent of wings 13 ; bill along the back y|-, along the 
edge t 9 2 ; tarsus 
Adult Female. 
The female differs greatly from the male in external appearance. The 
bill brown above, paler beneath ; iris hazel ; feet as in the male. The general 
colour of the plumage above is olivaceous-brown, spotted with brownish- .. 
black, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour. On the 
head is a central longitudinal band of pale yellowish-grey, spotted with 
dark brown, then on each side a dark brown band, and above the eye a 
white one ; a brown band from the bill to the eye and beyond it, and under 
this a whitish band. There are two white bands on the wings, as in the 
male, but narrower and duller. The quills and tail are brown. The 
lower parts light brownish-yellow, fading behind into white ; the fore neck, 
breast, and sides marked with small longitudinal spots or streaks of dark- 
brown. The lower wing-coverts very slightly tinged with rose-colour. 
Young Male in autumn. 
After the first moult, the young male resembles the female, but already 
shews the rosy tints both on the breast and on the under wing-coverts. 
Young in first plumage. 
In this state also the young resemble the female. 
Yol. III. 35 
