Auk, XVI Jan., 1899, pp 79-9 o 
On the Genus Astragalinus Cabanis. — When Cabanis established the 
genus Astragalinus (Mus. Hein. I, July, 1851, 159) he mentioned no 
type, but ranged under the generic name A. tristis, A. mexicanus , and A. 
columbianus , and in a footnote mentions also A. pistacinus and A. yarrelli 
“ as the nearest relatives of the type of the genus,” which must, therefore 
have been one of the above mentioned species. In the catalogue of the 
Fringillidae in the collection of the British Museum (Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus. XII, 1888, 192), Dr. Sharpe gives the type as Fringilla tristis Lin- 
naeus; and that he is correct in doing so is proven by the fact that the 
only one of the three species named by Cabanis to be made the type of 
another supposed genus is Fringilla f salt r in Say (nonspecific with 
Carduelis mexicanus Swainson), which Cassin, fourteen years later, 
designated as type of his subgenus Pseudomitris (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. 
Phila. 1865, 93). This clearly establishes Fringilla tristis as the type 
of the genus Astragalinus , even were F. psaltria (with its subspecies 
mexicanus and columbianus ) generically distinct, which they are not. 
Carduelis lawrencei Cassin is also an Astragalinus, and the only known 
species of the genus not mentioned by Cabanis. The genus is confined, 
so far as known, to North America, one form barely entering the northern 
frontier of the southern continent. This is A si rag a linns psa liria Colum- 
biana, which ranges from Colombia to Costa Rica. Carduelis yarrelli 
Audubon, which Cabanis, in the footnote cited above, refers to Astraga- 
linus is a Spinus, as are all other purely South American species, as well 
as all of those peculiar to Mexico and Central America (excepting, of 
course, the subspecific forms of Astragalinus psaltria). 
The North American species and subspecies of Astragalinus are as 
follows : — 
529. Astragalinus tristis (Linn.). 
A. [ stragalinus ] tristis Cabanis, Mus. Ilein. I, July, 1851, 159. 
52917. Astragalinus tristis pallidus (Mearns). 
529 b. Astragalinus tristis salicamans (Grinnell). 
Spinus tristis salicamans Grinnell, Auk, XIV, Oct. 1897, 397. 
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast district of United States. 
530. Astragalinus psaltria (Say). 
Astragalinus psaltria Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill Aug. 27, 
1880, 177. 
530m Astragalinus psaltria arizonae (Coues). 
Astragalinus psaltria arizonce Riugway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, 
Aug. 27, 1880, 177. 
530A Astragalinus psaltria mexicanus (Swains. ). 
Astragalinus psaltria mexicanus Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, 
Aug. 27, 1880, 177. 
531. Astragalinus lawrencei (Cassin). 
Astragalinus lawrenceii Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, Aug. 27, 
1880, 177. 
The remaining species ranged under Spinus in the A. O. U. Check-List 
should remain in that genus. — Robert Ridgway, Washington, D. C. 
