Part 64

Male, 4-1/2, 8.

Eastern bases of Rocky Mountains, and Western Plains. Accidental in Lower Louisiana. Common. Migratory.

Arkansaw Siskin, Fringilla psaltria, Say, Long's Exped. v. ii. p. 40.

Fringilla psaltria, Bonap. Syn. p. 111.

Arkansas Siskin, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 510.

Arkansaw Siskin, Fringilla psaltria, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 85.

184. 4. Carduelis Yarrellii, Aud. Yarrell's Goldfinch.

Plate CCCCXXXIII. Fig. 4. Male. Fig. 5. Female.

Bill very thick; second quill longest, third slightly longer than first. Male with the upper part of the head black, the back and scapulars yellowish-green, the hind neck and rump yellow; the wings and tail brownish-black; the former, when extended, crossed by two bands, one greenish-yellow, tipping the first row of small coverts, the other bright yellow and broad, on the base of the primary and secondary quills; tail also yellow in its basal half; lower parts bright yellow. Female with the upper parts yellowish-green, the lower dull greenish-yellow. This species, which has the bill thicker than any other here described, although it is otherwise inferior in size, not having been found by me any where noticed, I propose to honour with the name of my excellent friend Mr Yarrell. In my ornithological biography it is described as the Mexican Goldfinch, but that species has the back black, and the bases of the quills and tail-feathers white.

Male, 4, wing, 2-1/2.

Upper California.

Mexican Goldfinch, Fringilla Mexicana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 282.

185. 5. Carduelis Stanleyi, Aud. Stanley Goldfinch.

Not figured.

Bill thick; second and third quills equal, first little shorter. Male with the upper part of the head black, the back and scapulars yellowish-green, faintly streaked with dusky, the rump inclining to greenish-yellow; the wings and tail black; the former, when extended, crossed by two bands, one greenish-yellow, tipping the first row of small coverts, the other bright yellow and broad at the base of the primary and secondary quills; tail also yellow in its basal third, except on the middle feather; lower parts greenish-yellow, feeding into white on the abdomen; feathers on the throat black at the base; lower tail-coverts yellow, tipped with white, and having a central dusky streak. Female dull yellowish-green above, faintly streaked with dusky, paler beneath.

In this species, which I have named in honour of the illustrious Earl of Derby, the bill is so thick and short as to approach in form to that of the European Greenfinch.

Male, 4-9/12, wing, 2-10/12.

Upper California.

GENUS IX. FRINGILLA, Linn. FINCH.

Bill short, stout, conical, somewhat compressed, pointed; upper mandible of the same breadth as the lower, with its dorsal line straight, the ridge indistinct, the sides rounded, the edges ascending at the base, the notches obsolete, the tip scarcely deflected; lower mandible with the angle very short and rounded, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. Head rather large, ovate; neck short; body compact. Legs of moderate length; tarsus rather short, compressed, with seven scutella; toes moderate; hind toe stout, lateral equal. Claws rather long, arched, compressed, acute. Plumage rather compact, but blended. Wings of moderate length, with the second, third, and fourth quills longest. Tail of moderate length, slightly emarginate. Roof of upper mandible moderately concave, with three longitudinal ridges; tongue compressed, channelled above, horny, rather obtuse and concave at the end; œsophagus dilated about the middle; stomach roundish, muscular; intestine rather short; cœca small.

* Wings rather short, claws long, little arched.

186. 1. Fringilla iliaca, Merrem. Fox-coloured Finch.

Plate CVIII. Male and Female.

Upper parts light red, claws long, hind toe and its claws of equal length, tail lighter, the head and neck intermixed with light bluish-grey; inner webs of quills brown, secondary coverts slightly tipped with whitish; lower parts white, and, except the abdomen, spotted with light red, the spots on the breast smaller and inclining to black; a patch of dusky on its fore part, produced by the inner webs of several of the feathers.

Male, 7-1/2, 10-1/2. Female, 7-1/2.

Dispersed in winter throughout the Southern and Western Districts. Breeds from Nova Scotia to Labrador and the Fur Countries. Rather common.

Fox-coloured Sparrow, Fringilla rufa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 53.

Fringilla iliaca, Bonap. Syn. p. 112.