F R I N G I L L A MELANOCEPHALA.
C H A R A C T E R SPECIFICUS.
Fringllla capite remigibus reftricibufque nigris, humeris céeruleis, pectore flavo.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER.
Finch with head, long-feathers of the wings and tail black, flioulders blue, breail yellow.
THE Fringillae or Finches form a very extenfive genus: their bills are of a fomewhat more
conical form than thofe of the Loxiie, or not fo convex and deep towards the middle. In the
genera of Loxia, Emberiza, and Fringilla, both the mandibles are obferved to be moveable,
b y which circumftance the birds of this kind are enabled with the greater facility to decorticate
the feeds on which they frequently feed. The fjxcies figured on this Plate is one of the larger
ij^ecies: the head and throat are black: die long-feathers of the wings and the upper furface
of the tail are alfo black: the imder part of the tail is deep afli-colour: the breaft is yellow:
the ihoulders deep blueiih lead-colour; the abdomen white; the bill and legs brown. This
bird is a native of South America.