Carduelis atratus, d’Orb. Voy., Ois. p. 364, t. 48. fig. 2. Chrysomitris atrata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 490 (Mendoza); Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 212.
Description.—Black; concealed shoulder-spot, broad band on wing, basal half of tail-feathers, belly, and under tail-coverts bright yellow; bill and feet horn-colour: whole length 5·4 inches, wing 2·9, tail 1·8.
Hab. Bolivia and N.W. Argentina.
Dr. Burmeister obtained two examples of this species in the Sierra of [Uspallata] near Mendoza.
[89.] SYCALIS PELZELNI, Scl.
(YELLOW HOUSE-SPARROW.)
Sycalis pelzelni, Scl. Ibis, 1872, p. 42; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 34; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 172 (Buenos Ayres).
Description.—Above yellowish olive-green, the back sparsely striped with blackish; wing- and tail-feathers black, edged with yellow; forehead bright orange, the rest of the head like the back; below bright yellow; under surfaces of wings and tail also yellow: total length 5·4 inches, wing 2·7, tail 2·2. Female dull brownish grey mottled with blackish above; under surface whitish grey, striped with dusky brown on the breast; wing- and tail-feathers edged with yellow.
Hab. S. Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
The Yellow “House-Sparrow,” as this species is called, is the town-bird of Buenos Ayres, but does not multiply greatly, nor is he familiar with man, like his rough, sooty-plumaged, far-away London relation.