BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 293 



but is less common in all save Minnesota, Wisconsin and the 

 northern portions of Illinois and Iowa, and some sections of 

 the extensive interior table lands of the lower territories. For 

 many years Dr. Cooper failed to meet with it on the Pacific 

 coast until Mr. P. Gruber, an indomitable collector of San 

 Prancisco, found a specimen at Michigan bluff, Placer county, 

 California. The doctor saw the feathers of one recently 

 killed at the summit of the Sierra Nevada, latitude 39°, in 

 September, 1863. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill yellowish- green, dusky at the base. Anterior half of 

 body dark yellowish-olive, shaded in yellow to the rump above, 

 and the under tail coverts below. Outer scapulars, a broad 

 frontal band continued on each side over the eye, axillaries, 

 and middle of under wing coverts, yellow. Peathers along the 

 extreme base of the bill, crown, tibiae, wings, upper tail coverts, 

 and tail, black; inner greater wing coverts and tertiaries, white. 



Length, 7.30; wing, 4.80; tail, 2 75. 



Habitat, western North America, east to Lake Superior. 



PENICOLA EMCLEATOR (L ). (515). 

 PINE GROSBEAK. 



Another winter visitant from the colder regions of the north. 

 It arrives about the middle of November and remains frequently 

 until the 20th and 25th of April. Less of a seed, and more if 

 possible of a bud-eater than the Evening Grosbeak, it still con- 

 sumes both in enormous quantities. Like the last noted spe 

 cies the Pine Grosbeak is an unsuspicious, trustful bird, being 

 often caught with a noose slipped over his head, or even in the 

 hands, while intently feeding. They are gracefully formed 

 and beautifully colored when in mature plumage, and very so- 

 cial in an unceasing twitter while feeding. Those who have 

 heard them in their breeding places say they have a very sweet, 

 soft warble somewhat like the canary. Their call notes are 

 quite marked and employed by both sexes. They are usually 

 found in small parties during their stay with us, averaging 

 perhaps a dozen to fifteen, but occasionally many more, and 

 sometimes less. Occasionally individuals of this species have 

 been obtained in the vicinity of Fort Snelling for thirty years 

 past. Its distribution like the Evening Grosbeak's is very un- 

 equal, and subject to great variation in different years. As the 

 country is larger and larger settled and .more improved, their 

 relative numbers increase. Their presence in winter has been 



