MELODIOUS, or CUBA FINCH.6.9.
T-co aanoiz&J
T H E MELODIOUS FINCH.
Phonipara canora, BoNAP.
i-JpHE Melodious Pinch is a native of Cuba and belongs to a genus which, according
to Dr. Sharpe, contains four distinct species, and two tolerably well-marked
races. 'Th e Melodious Pinch is the type of the genus (that is to say the species
• upon which the genus M-as originally erected.*)
The adult cock bird above is of a yellowish green colour, the back of the
neck a little brighter; the crown of the head slate-grey in front, shading off into
green at the back; the base of the forehead, lores, feathers round the eye, ea'r-coverts,
and cheeks black; a golden yellow eyebrow; the primary coverts and aight featheri
dusky, the primaries yellow externally, the remainder yellowish green ; tail feathers
dusky, olivaceous yellow externally; throat black; sides of neck and a collar across
the lower part of the throat golden yellow; under parts slate-grey, paler on the
breast and whitish on the abdomen; under tail-coverts yellowish ^vhite with the
base of the feathers pale grey; under .ving coverts ^'ellowish white, the edge of
the wing olivaceous yellow; quills below dusky with grejlsh white inner margins.
Length inches.
The hen differs from the cock in the absence of black colouring from the face
throat and breast; on the face and throat it is replaced by chestnut brown; the'
crown of the head greyiMi brown; no yellow collar across the throat.
The nearly allied Olive Pinch fP. leptdaj, which inhabits the Greater Antilles
is thus distinguished by Dr. Sharpe. "A yellow eyebrow as well as a loral spot
and the chin; lower throat black. Black on the throat restricted to the fore neck
and never extending on the face as far as the region, below the eye. It seems
necessary to quote these distinctions, because both birds occur in Cuba and are
occasionally imported, though the Melodious Pinch is best known.
^ ^ - \Vhe„ the describer of a new genus inclnde.s in it several distinc'l species and dees not state -..fach i. the type
H custmna,,- to follow the first subsequent author who does indicate it. Therefore, it a genus is subsequently nb:
d,v,ded, (he typtctl speces must still be left in that subdivision which retains the original generic name -
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