Part 70

GENUS XIV. CORYDALINA, Aud. LARK-FINCH.

Bill of the same form as in the Guiraca, but smaller, and approaching to that of Dolichonyx, being short, robust, conical, a little compressed; upper mandible a little narrower, with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the ridge indistinct, the nasal sinus very broad and short, the sides convex, the edges ascending for a third of their length, then direct, the notches almost obsolete, the tip narrow; lower mandible with the angle short and very broad, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the back broad, the sides rounded, the edges inflected, the tip pointed. Nostrils basal, roundish. Head large, ovate; neck short; body full. Feet of moderate length, stout; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, with seven scutella; toes rather large, the first stouter, the lateral equal, the third very long. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, tapering to a very acute point. Plumage soft and blended. Bristles at the base of upper mandible feeble. Wings of moderate length, the outer three quills nearly equal, the second longest, the fourth slightly shorter than the third; outer secondaries broadly rounded and emarginate; inner tapering to a rounded point, one of them, when the wing is closed, little shorter than the outer primaries. Tail of moderate length, a little rounded. Name from [Greek: Korydalos], a lark.

202. 1. Corydalina bicolor, Towns. Prairie Lark-Finch.

Plate CCCXC. Fig. 2. Male. Fig. 3. Female.

Male black, slightly tinged with grey; a large patch of white on the wing, including some of the smaller coverts, the tips of the first row, and their secondary coverts; primaries and outer secondaries narrowly, inner secondaries broadly margined with white; tail-feathers narrowly edged with white, and having a narrow speck of the same at the end of the inner web. Female smaller, with the upper parts greyish-brown, streaked with dusky brown; the lower white, with oblong spots of brownish-black, the abdomen nearly pure white, their sides tinged with reddish-brown; quills dark brown, edged and tipped with reddish-white; the patch on the wing of the same tint; tail-feathers dark brown, the outer externally edged, and all tipped with white on the inner web.

Male, 7, wing 3-5/12.

Plains of the Platte River. Plentiful. Migratory.

Fringilla bicolor, Prairie Finch, Towns. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philadelphia, v. vii. p. 189.

Prairie Finch, Fringilla bicolor, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 19.

GENUS XV. PITYLUS, Cuvier. CARDINAL GROSBEAK.

Bill rather short, very robust, much higher than broad, tapering to a point; upper mandible considerably smaller than the lower, with the dorsal line convex, the ridge indistinct, the nasal sinus very wide, the sides convex, the edges ascending rapidly for a third of their length, then direct, with a slight festoon, slightly inflected, the notches faint, the tip a little deflected and narrow; lower mandible with the angle semicircular, the dorsal line straight, the sides at the base inflected, toward the end convex, the edges involute, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, round, concealed by the feathers. Plumage soft and blended, feathers of the head elongated and erectile; distinct bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Wings of moderate length, much rounded, the fourth and fifth quills longest, the first and eighth about equal. Tail long, rounded. Tarsus short, compressed, with seven scutella; toes moderate, hind toe stout, broad beneath, outer toe slightly longer than inner, and adherent at the base. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, acute. Upper mandible concave beneath, with three longitudinal ridges; tongue as high as broad, convex above, tapering to a point. Œsophagus nearly uniform, stomach pretty large, roundish, its lateral muscles strong.

203. 1. Pitylus Cardinalis, Linn. Common Cardinal Grosbeak.--Cardinal Bird. Red Bird. Virginian Nightingale.

Plate CLIX. Male and Female.

Male with the bill coral-red; plumage vermilion, duller on the upper parts; anterior part of forehead, lores, and throat black, inner webs of quills brown. Female with the bill paler, the upper parts yellowish-grey, the lower greyish-yellow, capistrum dusky; some of the crest-feathers, the wings and tail, as in the male, but of a fainter tint.

Male, 8-1/2, 11-1/2.

Breeds abundantly from Texas to New York. Very rare in Massachusetts. Valleys of the Mississippi and Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio. Resident from Maryland southward.

Cardinal Grosbeak, Loxia cardinalis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p. 38.

Fringilla cardinalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 113.

Cardinal Grosbeak or Red Bird, Fringilla cardinalis, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 519.

Cardinal Grosbeak, Fringilla cardinalis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 336; v. v. p. 514.

GENUS XVI. COCCOBORUS, Swains. SONG-GROSBEAK.

Bill rather short, extremely robust, almost as broad as the head and somewhat compressed, tapering to a point; upper mandible considerably smaller than the lower, with the dorsal line convex, the ridge indistinct, the nasal sinus very wide, the sides convex, the edges ascending for a third of their length, then direct, with a slight festoon, and inflected, the notches faint, the tip a little deflected, and narrow; lower mandible with the angle short and semicircular, the dorsal line straight, the sides at the base inflected, toward the end convex, the edges involute, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, round. Plumage somewhat compact, blended; distinct bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Wings of moderate length, pointed, the outer three quills nearly equal, the second longest. Tail of moderate length, slightly emarginate. Tarsus short, compressed, with seven scutella; toes moderate, hind toe stout, broad beneath, outer toe slightly longer than inner, and adherent at the base. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, acute. Upper mandible concave beneath, with three longitudinal ridges; tongue as high as broad, convex above, tapering to a point; œsophagus rather wide, dilated about the middle; stomach rather small, roundish, compressed, with its muscles distinct and of moderate thickness, the epithelium longitudinally rugous; intestine short, and of moderate width; cœca very small.

204. 1. Coccoborus cœruleus, Linn. Blue Song-Grosbeak.

Plate CXXII. Male, Female, and Young.

Male blue; with the lores, chin, and a line round the base of the mandibles black; wings and tail brownish-black, the latter and the primaries edged with blue, the first row of small coverts and the secondary coverts tipped with reddish-brown. Female with the head and hind part of the back blue; the fore part of the back brown, the wings and tail as in the male, the lower parts light greyish-brown, the sides, and fore part of the neck and the breast tinged with blue. Young yellowish-brown, lighter beneath; the upper part of the head, the back, smaller wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts tinged with dusky.

Male, 7-1/2, 11.

From Texas to New Jersey, and up the Mississippi to Memphis. Rocky Mountains. Rather rare. Migratory.

Blue Grosbeak, Loxia cœrulea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 78.