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T H E NONPAREIL BUNTING..
Cmf/ <!S/'/ :ti ¡r/r/x, IvINX.
A Viiir." common species in t!u- Southern United States, spreading alona the
coast as far r.„r.h as Carolina; sonthv.-ards ro Texas, Central America
from Mexico to Guatemala and Panama, Cnba, the Bahamas, Cozumel and neighbouring
islands.
The cock bird has the crown of the head, cheeks and mantle of an almost
ultramarine blue; the back goideu g,: - n shading into orange on the lower portion•
the upper tail-coverts yellow tUading into golden gi-een; the tail feathers dullegreen;
the wnng feathers greyish bronze ; the lesser coverts being wholly brouzc
but the remaining feathers with . golden greeu outer web; axillaries-reddisli; chin:
throat, -breast, belly and imder rail-coverts bright vermilKon red; sides and'flanks
slightly tinged wdth green. Lei.g.;. five inches; beak and legs dark grey; feathers
encircling eye orange; iris hazel.
In confinement, excepting in au open sunny avian-ail the vennillion colouring
gradually disappears from the under surface, which becomes bright yellow excepting
on the chin, which sometimes retains a redjisli tinge.
The hen is altogether duller in colouring than the cock ; the upper surface
being entirely bronze green ; the wing feathers mostly dusky, with creeu outer
webs; the central tail feathers dull ,gi-een, the remainder dusky wdth duif green
outer borders; the lores greyish; feathers encircling the eye yellowish"; sides of face
and ear-coverts with a buff tinge; under surface dull yellow, slightly tinged with
brown on the sides and flanks ; under wing-coverts greenish grey; flights smoky
with greyish inner webs. Ungth five and tl^.ree-tenth inches, "sometim"<. sn>aller
Some years ago I turned a pair of this species into one' of my bivd-.-,.om
ai-iaries, but they showed no disposition to breed; moreover the hen pro,-«! to be
delicate and only lived for about six months ; this was disappointing, especially as
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N O N P A R E I L , BUNTING
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