450 



NOIITII A-MEl;lCA.\ BIRDS. 



Sp. Cuak. Bill y<-llo\vish-t;recii. <lusky at the liasc. Anterior half of the hoily dusky 

 vpUowish-olhu. sbadiii!? into yellow to the rump above, and the under tail-coverts below. 

 Outer scapulars, a broad frontal band continueil on each side over the eye, axillaries, and 

 middle of under wing-coverts yellow. Feathers along the extreme base of the bill, the 

 crown, tibiie, wings, upper tail-coverts, and tail black ; inner greater wiug-coverts and 

 tertiaries white. Length, 7.30 ; wing, 4.30 ; tail, 2.75. 



The female diflers in having the head of a dull olivaceous-brown, which color also 

 glosses the back. The yellow of the rump and other parts is replaced by a yellowish-ash. 

 The upper tail-coverts are spotted with white. The white of the wing is much restricted. 

 There is an obscure blackish line on each side of the chiu. 



Hab. (Var. vespertina.) Pacific coast to Rocky Mountains ; Northern America east to 

 Lake Superior. (Tar moniana.) Southern Rocky Mountains of United States into 

 Mexico; Orizaba! (Sclateh. 1860,251); Vera Cruz (alpine regions, breeding) Sumichbast, 

 Pr. Host. Soc. I, 550 ; Guatemala, Salvin. 



The variety with broad frontnl haiul and increased amount of white appears 

 to characterize Noi-thern .siiecimeus, while that with narrow frontlet and the 



greatest amount of black is found in 

 Guatemala, ^le-xico, and the southern 

 Kocky IMountuins, and may be called 

 mo'ntana. 



In size it is also a little smaller. Speci- 

 mens from Mirador (wlierc breeding) and 

 those from New Mexico are nearly iden- 

 tical in size, proportions, and colors. 



Habits. Tiiis remarkable Grosbeak 

 was first descrilied by Mr. William Cooper, 

 from specimens oljtained by Jlr. School- 

 craft in April, 1823, near the Sault Sainte 

 iMarie, in Michigan. Sir John Richard- 

 son soon after found it to be a common 

 inhabitant of the maple groves on the 

 plains of the Saskatchewan, where it is 

 called Iw the Indians tlie " Sugar-Bird." He states that it frequents tlie 

 borders of Lake Superior also, and the eastern declivity of the Ivocky Moun- 

 tains, in latitude 56°. 



Captain Blakiston did not find this Grosljeak on the Saskatcliewan during 

 the summer, but only noticed it there during the winter. He saw none after 

 the 22d of April, and not again until the middle of November. They were 

 seen in company with the Pine Grosbeak, feeding on the keys of the ash- 

 leaved maple. He adds that it has a sharp clear note in winter, and is an 

 active bird. 



Dr. Cooper, in his Notes on the Zoology of Washington Territory, states 

 tliat this species is a common resident in its forests, but adds that as it fre- 

 quents the summits of the tallest trees, its habits have been but little 

 observed. In January, lS.J-4, during a snow-storm, a flock descended to some 



Hesperiphona vespertina. 



