CRIMSON-NECKED BULLFINCH. 
309 
edged with greyish ; the coverts and secondaries are edged 
with dull greyish ; the tail is blackish brown, hardly emargi- 
nated ; the lateral feathers are edged, on the inner side, with 
whitish. 
Such is the description of our male specimen ; but as it was 
procured when summer was far advanced, a season in which 
the plumage begins to fade, it is proper to observe, that the 
colouring of this bird is probably much more brilliant in its 
full spring dress, the crimson extending much farther down on 
the back, &c. As the season advances, the tips of the feathers, 
which are the only parts of a crimson colour, being gradually 
worn off, the bird as gradually loses its brilliancy ; and, in the 
autumnal and winter plumage, exhibits the humble appearance 
of the female. 
The female is altogether destitute of the brilliant colour, 
being dusky brown above, the feathers margined on each side 
with dull whitish ; the whole inferior surface is whitish, each 
feather having a brown longitudinal line in the middle, obso- 
lete on the vent, which is almost pure white. 
A change similar to that above mentioned, takes place in 
the purple finch, whose habits also much resemble those of the 
crimson-necked bullfinch ; but the form of its bill is certainly 
that of a finch, and will always distinguish it from the species 
we are describing, the bill of which is unequivocally of the 
bullfinch form. The different tints of red adorning these birds, 
will also at once strike the eye of the least expert in discrimi- 
nating species ; in the present bird the tint is vivid crimson, 
whilst in the purple finch it is rosaceous. In addition to these 
characters, the latter is a somewhat larger bird, with a pure 
white belly, and inferior tail-coverts, and a deeply emarginated 
tail ; whilst the former has a nearly even tail, and its belly and 
inferior tail- coverts are striped with dusky. 
Some persons, without doubt, may think it highly improper 
to separate generically two birds, so closely allied as the pre- 
sent species and the purple finch, which may be mistaken for 
the same species ; but we may remark, that they stand at the 
