Volume I Part 12 (1/2)

60. POOSPIZA WHITII, Scl.

(WHITE'S WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza whitii+, _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1883, p. 43, pl. ix.

_Description._--Above clear grey, very faintly washed with olive; tail black, the outer feathers on each side tipped with white, as in _P. erythrophrys_; patch between bill and eye, the anterior half of superciliary stripe, and chin white; hinder part of superciliary stripe and under surface chestnut; middle of belly white; under tail-coverts buff: total length 55 inches, wing 24, tail 26.

_Female_ similar, but breast pale rufous; abdomen white; sides grey and buff.

_Hab._ Province of Cordova, Rep. Arg.

This species has only been obtained by the late Mr. E. W. White. He met with specimens of it at Cosquin, Cordova, in June, July, and August, 1882. It has been dedicated to its discoverer, who has so largely augmented our knowledge of the Argentine avifauna, and whose premature death was a veritable loss for science.

61. POOSPIZA ERYTHROPHRYS, Scl.

(RED-BROWED WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza erythrophrys+, _Scl. Ibis_, 1881, p. 599, pl. xvii. fig. 1; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599 (Catamarca).

_Description._--Above grey, faintly washed with olive; greater wing-coverts tipped with white; wing-feathers blackish, edged with grey; tail blackish grey, the two outer feathers on each side tipped with white, and on the outer feather the white extending down the outer web to the base of the tail; superciliary stripe and whole under surface light chestnut, paler on the abdomen; under tail-coverts buff: total length 55 inches, wing 25, tail 23.

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

This pretty species is another of White's discoveries. He first met with it in the Sierra of Totoral, Catamarca, and subsequently about 20 miles north of Buenos Ayres.

62. POOSPIZA a.s.sIMILIS, Cab.

(RED-FLANKED WARBLING FINCH.)

+Poospiza a.s.similis+, _Cab. Mus. Hein._ i. p. 137; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 599 (Misiones). +Poospiza lateralis+, _Barrows, Bull.

Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 130 (Concepcion).

_Description._--Above grey, slight superciliary mark whitish; middle of back and wings washed with rufous; rump bright rufous; tail blackish, two lateral pairs of rectrices broadly tipped with white; beneath grey, white in the middle of the belly; flanks and crissum bright rufous; under wing-coverts greyish white; bill horn-colour, lower mandible yellowish; feet pale brown; whole length 50 inches, wing 25, tail 24.

_Hab._ Northern Argentina.

White found this species abundant amongst the thick weeds and gra.s.s in the outskirts of Concepcion. He took it for _P. thoracica_, from which it differs in its rufous rump. It is more like _P. lateralis_.

63. POOSPIZA ORNATA (Landb.).

(PRETTY WARBLING FINCH.)

+Phrygilus ornatus+, _Landb. Journ. f. Orn._ 1865, p. 405. +Poospiza ornata+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 30.

_Description._--Above grey; back more or less varied with chestnut; long superciliaries ochreous white; wings blackish, coverts edged with white, tail black, lateral rectrices broadly tipped with white; beneath dark chestnut, lighter on the middle of the belly; bill and feet dark brown; whole length 52 inches, wing 24, tail 23.

_Female_ similar, but paler in colour, especially below.