Chrysomitris psaltria, var. mexicana, Bonap.
BLACK GOLDFINCH; MEXICAN GOLDFINCH.
Carduelis mexicanus, Swains. Syn. Birds Mex. Phil. Mag. 1827, 435.—Wagler, Isis, 1831, 525. Chrysomitris mexicanus, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, 516 (quotes Aud. tab. 427).—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 423, pl. liv, f. 1. Astragalinus mexicanus, Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 159.—Ib. Journ. für Orn. 1861, 7 (with synonymy).—Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 82. Fringilla melanoxantha (Licht.), Wagler, Isis, 1831, 525. ? Fringilla catotol, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 914. Fringilla texensis, Giraud, 16 Sp. Birds Tex. 1841, pl. v. f. 1 (gives white belly).—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 169.
Sp. Char. Upper parts continuously and entirely black; the feathers of the rump white subterminally, and showing this through the black; a few of the feathers with greenish-yellow between the white and the black; a few, perhaps, without black tips. The bases of the third to seventh primaries, and the ends of the tertiaries externally white. The tail is black, except the outer three feathers, in which the outer webs and tips only are this color; the rest white. Inside of wing black. Under parts of body pale yellow. Female with the black of the head and body replaced by olive-green. Length, 4.12 inches; wing, 2.25; tail, 2.00.
Hab. Mexican side of the valley of the Rio Grande, southward; Oaxaca, June (Scl. 1858, 302); Cordova (Scl. 1856, 303); Guatemala (Scl. Ibis I, 19); Costa Rica (Cab. J. 1861, 7); Panama (Lawr. N. Y. Lyc. 1861, 331; winter).
Habits. The Mexican Goldfinch is distributed from the western side of the Rio Grande, through Mexico and Central America, to Panama. Sumichrast mentions it as found throughout the State of Vera Cruz, but most abundant in the temperate region. It breeds in the vicinity of Orizaba. It was taken in Central America, by Mr. Skinner, and has been reported from Costa Rica, and from Panama in the winter. Of its distinctive peculiarities we have no information, but they probably do not differ from those of the other forms of C. psaltria.
Chrysomitris lawrencii, Bonap.
LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH.
Carduelis lawrencii, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, Oct. 1850, 105, pl. v (California). Chrysomitris lawrencii, Bon. Comptes Rendus, Dec. 1853, 913.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 424.—Heerm. X, S, 50 (nest).—Elliot, Illust. Am. B. I, pl. viii.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 171.
Sp. Char. Male. Hood, sides of head anterior to the middle of the eye, chin, and upper part of throat, black. Sides of head, neck, and body, upper part of neck and the back, and upper tail-coverts, ash-color. Rump and lesser wing-coverts yellowish-green. Throat below the black, breast, and outer edges of all the quills (except the first primary, and passing into white behind), bright greenish-yellow. Wings black. Tail-feathers black, with a white square patch on the inner web, near the end; outer edges grayish; quills black. Female similar, with the black of the head replaced by ash. Length, about 4.70; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.30. Young like the female, but wing-bands pale fulvous, instead of yellow.