94 
FEMALE INDIGO FINCH. 
the erroneous impression that a large bill was characteristic of 
that genus. This mistake however is excusable, when we consider 
that almost all the North American birds which he found placed 
in it, through the negligence or ignorance of his predecessors, 
are in fact distinguished by large bills. 
The transfer of this species to the genus Fringilla , renders a 
change necessary in the name of Loxia cyanea of Linne, an 
African bird, now a Fringilla of the subgenus Coccothraustes. 
The American bird belongs to Spiza, and together with the 
Fringilla ciris, and the beautiful Fringilla amcena, it may form a 
peculiar group, allied to Fringilla , Emberiza, and Tanagra , but 
manifestly nearest the former. 
The adult Male in full plumage having been described by 
Wilson, may be omitted here. The Female measures four inches 
and three-quarters in length, and nearly seven in extent. The 
bill is small, compressed, and less than half an inch long, is 
blackish above and pale horn colour beneath; the irides are 
dark brown; above she is uniformly of a somewhat glossy 
drab; between the bill and eyes, and on the cheeks, throat, and 
all the inferior parts, of a reddish clay colour, much paler on 
the belly, dingy on the breast, and strongly inclining to drab 
on the flanks, blending into the colour of the back, the shafts 
of the feathers being darker, giving somewhat of a streaked 
appearance: the whole base of the plumage is lead colour; the 
wings and tail are of a darker and less glossy brown, each feather 
being edged with lighter, more extended on the secondaries, and 
especially the wing-coverts; the wings are two inches and a half 
long, not reaching when folded beyond the tail-coverts; the first 
primary is subequal to the fourth, the second and third being 
longest; the three outer besides the first, are greatly attenuated 
on the outer web half an inch from the point, where it is extremely 
narrow; the tail is two inches in length, and but slightly emar- 
