Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/493

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PINE FINCH.
457


which province he is governor ; and I have great pleasure in informing you, that, through his most pohte attention and kind hospitality to my- self and my family, our time was passed in the most pleasant manner, while^we sojourned in the pretty village of Frederickton.

Fhingilla PiJfus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 111. Pine Finch, Fringilla Pin us, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 133. pi. 57- fig- 1. — iVM«a//, Manual, parti, p. 511.

Adult Male. Plate CLXXX. Fig. 1.

Bill rather short, conical, very acute ; upper mandible a little broader than the lower, almost straight in its dorsal outline, rounded on the sides, as is the lower, which has the edges sharp and inflected ; the gap-line almost straight, slightly deflected at the base. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. Head of moderate size, the general form compact. Legs of moderate length, slender ; tarsus compressed, covered anteriorly wi th a few longish scutella, sharp behind ; toes scuteUate above, free, the lateral ones nearly equal, the hind toe strong ; claws arched, much compressed, very acute.

Plumage soft, blended, with very little gloss. Wings of ordinary length, the first quill longest, the second and third a little shorter ; se- condaries short, emarginate. Tail of ordinary length, forked, the lateral feathers straight, but spreading.

Bill light yellowish-brown, dusky at the tip. Iris brown. Feet purplish-brown. The general colour of the upper parts is yellowish- grey, streaked with dark brown ; the wings and tail dusky, margined with greyish-white ; the bases of the secondary quills, the tips of their coverts, and the margins of the rump feathers, cream-coloured. The lower parts are greyish-white, tinged with brown on the fore neck, and all streaked with dull brown.

Length ^^^^ inches, extent of wings 8| ; bill along the ridge /j, along the edge y'^g ; tarsus /g.

Adult Female. Plate CLXXX. Fig. 2.

The Female scarcely differs from the Male in external appearance.

This species belongs to the group of Slender-billed Finches which form the genus Carduelis of authors. The form of its bill, although