Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol. II.Stephens, John L.
History
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol. II.
Stephens, John L.
Yucatán (Mexico : State) -- Description and travel
Of the genus Loxia were obtained four species, three of which are in
immature plumage, and cannot, therefore, be placed with certainty. The
other does not appear to have been described, though there are some
descriptions which come near it. The male is nearly ten inches long;
head and chin, extending down the sides of the neck, and in a crescent
across the upper part of the breast, black; cheeks very dark steel
gray; a white line extending from the bill over the eye almost to the
hind head; hind head, back, secondaries, outer edge of the primaries,
yellow olive; also the tail; the shafts of the feathers are black; part
of the chin and throat pure white; breast, belly, and thighs cinereous;
vent, and under the tail coverts, light bay; bill quite stout, nearly
an inch long, and black; the female is about nine inches long, having
dark cinereous brown in place of the olive; the other markings much the
same as the male, but not so vivid. They are very common throughout
Yucatan, and said to be very destructive in the fields and gardens:
called by the Indians _tsapin_.
Of the genus Emberiza one was procured, in immature plumage; probably
the painted bunting.
Of the genus Pipra one: the blue and yellow manakin, not common in
Yucatan.
Of the genus Tanagra were procured two species, one of which is the
red-crested tanager of Latham. But one pair was seen. The other is
believed to be undescribed. The specimen was a male, six inches and a
quarter long; bill inflated, and strongly toothed; at about the middle
of the upper mandible, six eighths of an inch along the gap, top of the
head, wings, and tail, of a deep raspberry, approaching maroon colour;
back cinereous, tinged with red; chin and throat bright rose colour;
breast and belly light cinereous; vent and under tail coverts light
rosy red.
Of the genus Fringilla was procured one species, believed to be
described in Latham as the cinereous finch (Fringilla Cinerea); they
were quite common about Merida in the latter part of May.
Of the genus Lanius three species were obtained, all of which have been
described. They are the Cayenne shrike (L. Cayanus. Ind. Orn., vol. i.,
p. 80), the rusty shrike (L. Rubiginosus), and the gray-headed shrike
(Tanagra Guianensis. Ind. Orn., vol. i., p. 427), more properly the
Lanius G. This bird sings quite prettily, and is rather common in
Yucatan. The other two were rarer, especially the second.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account