FAMILY FRINGILLIDÆ.—THE FINCHES. (_Continued._) GENUS SPIZELLA, BONAP. _Spizella_, BONAP. Geog. and Comp. List, 1838. (Type, _Fringilla canadensis_, LATH.) _Spinites_, CABANIS, Mus. Hein. 1851, 133. (Type, _Fringilla socialis_, WILS.) [Line drawing: _Spizella monticola._ 871 ♂] GEN. CHAR. Bill conical, the outlines slightly curved; the lower mandible decidedly larger than the upper; the commissure gently sinuated; the roof of the mouth not knobbed. Feet slender; tarsus rather longer than the middle toe; the hinder toe a little longer than the outer lateral, which slightly exceeds the inner; the outer claw reaching the base of the middle one, and half as long as its toe. Claws moderately curved. Tertiaries and secondaries nearly equal; wing somewhat pointed, reaching not quite to the middle of the tail. First quill a little shorter than the second and equal to the fifth; third longest. Tail rather long, moderately forked, and divaricated at the tip; the feathers rather narrow. Back streaked; rump and beneath immaculate. Young streaked beneath. This genus differs from _Zonotrichia_ principally in the smaller size and longer and forked, instead of rounded tail. Birds of the year of this genus are very difficult to distinguish, even by size, except in _monticola_. The more immature birds are also very closely related. In these the entire absence of streaks on a plumbeous head point to _atrigularis_; the same character in a reddish cap, and a reddish upper mandible to _pusilla_; a dusky loral spot with dark streaks and generally a rufous shade on top of head, to _socialis_. _S. breweri_, with a streaked head, lacks the dusky lore and chestnut shade of feathers. _S. pallida_ generally has a median light stripe in the cap, and a dusky mandibular line. COMMON CHARACTERS. Interscapular region with black streaks. Rump and lower parts without streaks (except in young). Wing with two narrow light bands (indistinct in _atrigularis_). A. Crown different from the sides of the head, a plain light superciliary stripe. Young with crown and breast streaked. _a._ Crown rufous and plain in adult; in young, grayish and with streaks. _I._ _Streak behind eye, and tinge on side of breast, rufous. Egg pale blue, or bluish-white, blotched with pale brown, or sprinkled with reddish._ 1. S. monticola. Crown bright rufous, undivided medially; a dusky spot on lore; wing-bands sharply defined, pure white. A black spot on breast; jugulum tinged with ashy. Bill black above, yellow below. Length, 6.25; wing, 3.00. _Hab._ Whole of North America; north of the United States only, in summer. 2. S. pusilla. Crown dull rufous, indistinctly divided medially; lores entirely whitish; wing-bands not sharply defined, pale brown. No black spot on breast; jugulum tinged with buff. Bill entirely light brownish-red.