1851.] 219 



The bird from which the following description was taken, was shot near Santa 

 Fe, in the month of July. It had, in some respects, the appearance of an adult 

 bird, or at least a bird of the preceding year, although its general markings, to 

 judge from analogy, would indicate a young bird. Yet, judging from the firm- 

 ness of its bones, appearance of its bill, and a slight abrasion of the ends of the 

 tail feathers, 1 did not, at the time, take it to be a young bird. 



Its length (when killed) was 7 7-lOths inches ; alar stretch 11 inches ; wing, 

 from flexure, 3 7-lOths; above, light brown, each feather being dark dusky near 

 the tip, the extreme tip white giving the appearance of a mixture of light and 

 dark brown, thickly speckled with white ; in this respect resembling the young 

 of the Sliore Lark ; the greater and lesser wing coverts broadly edged with yel- 

 lowish white, and tipped with pure white, forming two distinct bars, most appa- 

 rent when the winj is extended ; the second primary longest, the third shorter 

 than the first, the outer vane of the latter white ; remaining wing feathers edged 

 with whitish, broadest on the tertials ; tail of twelve feathers, even, the two 

 middle ones light brown, edged with whitish, the r. r.iainder dark dusky, the two 

 exterior ones being white on the outer vanes; all the underparts pale brownish 

 white, most clear at the lower extreme ; bill slender and slightly curved, of a 

 horn color above, and lighter below ; eyebrows, extending back of the eyes, 

 whitish: irides dark hazel; legs and feet nearly black; hind nail longer than 

 the toe. 



The difference between this bird and the young of the Shore Lark, is in the 

 different dimensions, and in the whole of the under parts being whitish ; but more 

 particularly in the length and shape of the bill, which is longer, more slender, 

 and rather more curved above than that of the Shore Lark, either young or old. 



It is believed to be of a species of the genus Otocoris, hitherto unknown to 

 science. 



Carpodacus, Kaup. 

 [Erythrospiza, Bo7iap.'\ 

 39. C. FRONTALIS, Say. Crimson Fronted Finch. 



I found this charming little finch abundant at Santa Fe, where they commenced 

 nesting in March, although the weather was still wintry, and so continued, with 

 frequent snow storms, for more than a month. Notwithstanding this, the song 

 of the male failed not to cheer his mate, during incubation, with the liveliest 

 melody. The notes often reminded me of the soft trill of the house wren, and 

 as often of the clear warble of the canary. The males of the last year, though 

 mated and apparently equally happy and quite as assiduous as their seniors, were 

 not yet in full plumage, having little or nothing of the red colors that mark the 

 adult birds. 



The nests, which were stuck into every cranny about the eves and porticos of 

 the houses throughout town, were variously composed, of dry grass, fine roots, 

 horse-hair, long pieces of cotton twine, or strips of old calico ; in fine, of countless 

 odds and ends, that were picked up about the yards ; these were curiously and 

 firmly interwoven, so as to make a warm and comfortable abode for the new 

 comers. Eggs, four or five, pale blue, slightly marked on the larger end. The 

 young were able to fly by the middle or latter part of April. A second brood, 

 and, in some cases, I believe, a third was raised during the summer ; as not a few 



