80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



FRINGILLIDJE. 



135. Hesperphona vespertina (Cooper) Bonap. 



Chiefly a more northern and coast species ; but extending as far south as 

 the table lands of Mexico. It is undoubtedly a component of the Whipple 

 Fauoa, though I never succeeded in detecting it in that locality. 



136. Carpodacus Cassini Baird. 



Common ; resident. A species conspicuously different from purpureus in 

 habits as well as in form and color. Its range of habitat is quite diverse ; 

 and I have seen specimens taken during the breeding season, from the Table 

 Lands of Mexico. "Extends west to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada." 

 {Cooper.) 



The difference in the tint of the red of the males, and its distribution on 

 the under parts would alone readily distinguish it; independently of its 

 larger size, large long bill, different proportions of primaries, etc., which lat- 

 ter features will always serve to separate females and immature birds. 



My specimens range from 6-4 x 10*9 to 6 7 X H"4. Iris brown ; legs and 

 feet brownish black ; bill above deep horn blue, below flesh color more or 

 less obscured by dusky. Very young birds of either sex have an ochraceous 

 or light rufous suffusion over the whole body, most noticeable below. The 

 streaks are more numerous and less sharply defined. 



137. Carpodacus frontalis (Say) Gray. 



Fringilla frontalis, Say. Pyrrhula frontalis, Bon. Erythrospiza frontalis, 

 Aud. Carpodacus frontalis, Gray. Baird, B. N. A. 1858, p. 415. 



Carpodacus famiiiaris, McCall, Pr. A. N. S. Ph. 1852, p. 61. 



Carpodacus obscurus, McCall, Pr. A. N. S. Ph. 1851, p. 220. 



Carpodacus '' calif or ni cus"! Coues, Newton's Ibis., Apr., 1865, p. 164, 

 (errore pessimo.) 

 Very abundant. Permanent resident, but most abundant in spring and fall. 

 Eminently gregarious. Found in all situations. In spring keep mostly among 

 thickets of Salix and Populus, on the young buds of which they chiefly feed. 



The shade of red in equally adult males differs most remarkably. Immature 

 males, in the late fall and winter months, show every possible gradation, from 

 a plumage indistinguishable from that of the female to that of high spring 

 condition ; in which, also, the color of the throat, breast, crown and rump 

 ranges from an intense crimson to a light rose red, almost pink ; sometimes a 

 bronzy tint is quite apparent. Young birds just fiora the nest diffVr in being 

 much more thickly streaked below, the streaks themselves narrow and quite 

 sharply defined, contrary to the general rule among young Fringillidse. The 

 wing coverts, secondaries and tail feathers are broadly edged with dull rufous. 

 The crown and back are obsoletely streaked. The preceding relates to June 

 and July birds. A common autumnal condition is to have the whole body, 

 but particularly the under parts, washed wiih light rufous or ochraceous, in 

 which the broad streaks are numerous and semiconfluent. 



I have shot ' Buriones " all the way from the Rio Grande, through New 

 Mexico, Arizona aud California to the Pacific coast, and cannot discover the 

 slightest indication of another species tending toward purpureus or californicus. 

 The latter species seems to be exclusively a coast bird.* At the same time 

 frontalis is exceedingly different from the C. Iwmorrhous of Mexico. 



138. Chrysomitris (Pseddomitris) psaltria (Say) Bonap. 



Fringilla psaltria, Say, Long's Exp. Rocky Mts. ii. 1828, p. 40. 

 Fringilla (Car duelis) psaltria, Bonap. Am. Orn. i. 1825,54, pi. 6, fig. 3. 

 Carduclis pxaltria, Audubon's works. 



Chrysomitris psaltria, Bonaparte, Corap. list, 1838. Baird, B. N. A. 1858, 

 p. 422. 



* lSy an unfortunate oversight, I gave 'californicus" as the Arizona species iu Newton's Ibis, 

 ;ts above, instead of frontalis, an error it is quite important to correct. 



[March 5 



