566 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. IX. 



Genus HESPERIPHONA Bonap. 



234. Hesperiphona vespertina (Coop.). 

 EVENING GROSBEAK. 



Coccothraustes vespertinus (Co OP.), A. O. U. Check List, 1895, p. 211. 

 Distr.: Interior of eastern North America, from New York and 

 New England west to the Rocky Mountains and north to the British 

 provinces (Saskatchewan) ; south in winter to Ohio, Kansas, Wis- 

 consin, northern Illinois, and northern Indiana. Breeding range 

 unknown. 



Adult male: Bill, very large and thick, pale greenish yellow in 

 color; forehead, yellow, the color extending back in a line over the 



eye; crown, blackish; sides of 

 head, grayish olive brown; upper 

 back, brownish olive; breast, 

 yellowish olive, shading into 

 yellow on the belly and under 

 tail coverts; rump, yellow; 

 wings and tail, black, the ter- 

 minal half of the secondaries 

 and coverts, pure white. 



Adult female: General plu- 

 Male - mage, grayish brown, darkest 



on top and sides of head; upper throat, whitish; sides of body and 

 under wing coverts, more cr less tinged with yellow; wings and tail, 

 black, marked with more or less white, the tail feathers being tip- 

 ped with white on inner webs. 



Length, 7.25 to 8.50; wing, 4.10 to 4.60; tail, 2.75; bill, .70. 

 This fine species is a not uncommon winter visitant in Wisconsin 

 and occurs occasionally in winter in northern Illinois. Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson states: "A winter visitant occurring at irregular intervals. In 

 the winter of 1871 they wer equite common throughout the northern 

 portion of the state." Mr. F. M. Woodruff considers it a very irreg- 

 ular winter visitant to northeastern Illinois. He procured a speci- 

 men at River Forest on January 13, 1887, and another at Englewood, 

 March, 1888. He writes: " Mr. B. T. Gault informs me that on 

 December 25, 1886, he observed five in Garfield Park, Chicago, where 

 they were feeding upon the keys of the box elder. ***** M r 

 H. K. Coale has furnished me with the following interesting record: 

 " On Febr. n, 1887, Mr. E. A. Colby shot twelve Evening Grosbeaks 

 in Chicago, which he presented to me in the flesh; he also saw several 

 flocks during the winter feeding on the buds of trees." (Birds of the 



