418 PINE GROSBEAK.
I.OX1A Kxi . c i .eato«, Una. Syat. Nat: vol. i. p. 299.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i.
Pine (rHocBKAK, I.OXIA F.NL:cr.KATOK, Wîls. Amer. Ornirh. vol. i.p. 80,pl!.ft.fig. 2.
I'vitKHt'i.A Knuc-i.fator. Ck. lt<muf.artc, 8vn<>i*U of Hirilsof I'mieil Stnit*, ji. 119.
f'vRKHirLA (Corythus) Ks i - c lka toh, tikhards. and Sn-aim. Fauna Itor.-Ami'r.
vol. ii. p. 262-
Pine Grosbeak ur Iii:i.i.tiscii, 'SuWtH, Manual, vol..i. ji. 535. ;
Adult Male. Plat« ("CCLVMIi.' I-ig. J.
Bill short, robust, bulging at the base, epiiieSî,' acute ; upper mandible
with its dorsal outline convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp
and overlapping ; lower mandible with the angle: short ami very broad,
the dorsal line ascending and slightly .convex, the sides rounded, the
•edges inflected ; the acute decurved tip of .the upper mandible extending
considerably beyond that of the lower ; the gape- line deflected at
the'b'aSe:?*
Head rather large, ovate, flattened above ; neck short ; ibady full.
Legs short, of moderate strength; tarsus short, compressed, «ith six
anterior scutella, and two plates behind, forming a thin edge ; tees
short, the first proportionally stout, the third much longer than the
two lateral, which arc about equal ; their scutella large, their lower
surface with large pails covered with prominent papilla:. Claws rather
long; arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, and acute.
Plumage s'oft,'." full, rather blended, the. feathers oblong!*,»» At the
base of the upper mandible aire1 strong bristly feathers directed forwards.
The Avings of moderate length; the primaries rounded, the
second and third longest, and with the fourth and fifth having their
outer Webs slightly cut out. Tail rather long; emarginate. of twelve:
strong, broad, obliquely rounded feathers: '
Rill reddMi-brown. Iris.hazel, Feet blackish brown, claws black.
The general 'colour of the plumage is bright carmine tinged with vermilion
; the feathers of the fore part of the back and the scapulars
greyish-brow n in the centre ; the bristly feathers at the base of the
bill blackish-brown ; the middle of the breast, abdomen, and lower
tail-coverts, light grey, the latter with à. central dusky streak. Wings
blackish-brown ; the primaries and their coverts narrowly edged with
reddish-white, the secondaries more broadly with white \ the secondary
coverts and first row of small coverts tipped with reddish-white, the
smaller coverts edged with red.
PINE GttOSBEAR. 4 re
Length to end of tail 8 J inches, to end of wings 6J, to end of claws
6 f ; eitent of: wings 14 ; wing from flexure 4f ; tail 4 ; bill along the
ridge J J , along the edge of lower mandible T\; tarsus ||;; first toe ,
its Slaw ; middle toe its claw ft.
Female. Plate CCOI.VI II. Hig. 2.
Tlio iemale'is scarcely inferior to the liuf-le* i'n 'size. -The bill is
dusky, the' feet as in iM male. The upper part of the head and hind
neck are yV'lhmish-brimti, ettct feather with ajcentral dusky stre'alk ;
the rump brownish yellow : tb'd rest of the upp%# parts light brownishgrey.
Wings and tail tVs in the riiiilo. tile white edgings and the tips
tttiged with grey ; rh<> che'eks and throat greyish-white or yell'owisli;
the lure part mid titles of the neck, the breast, sides, and abdomen ashgrey,
as are the lower tail-coverts.1 •
Length to end of tail 8 J inches, to end of wings 6 J , to end of claws
6f ; extent of wings 13s : wing from flexure ;• tail ; tarsus ;
middle toe and claw I
Young fully fledged. ' Plate g iCLVI I I . Fig. 3.
The young, when in full plumage, resemble the female, but are
more tinged with brown:
An adult male from Boston examined. The roof of the mouth is
moderately: concave, i t s anterior horny part with five prominent ridges ;
the lower mandible deeply concave. Tongue i - twelfths long, firm,
deflected at the middle, deeper than broad, papillate at the base, with
a median groove ; for the distal half of its length, it, is cased with a
firm horny substance, and is then of an oblong shape, when viewed
from above, deeply concave, with two flattened prominences at the
base, the point rounded and thin, the back or lower surface convex.
This remarkable structure of the tongue appears to be intended for the
purpose of enabling the bird, when it has insinuated its bill between
the scales of a strobilus, to lay hold of the seed by pressing it against
the .roof of the mandible. In the Crossbills, the tongue is nearly of the
sajme form, but more slender, and these birds feed in the same manner,
in so far'1 as regards the prehension of the food. In the present species,
the tongue is much strengthened by the peculiar form of the basi-hyoid
bone, to which there ft appended as it were above, a thin longitudinal