458 KORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Xo. 49,955, adult male. Nulato, Yukon River, Alaska. .Tanuary 10, 1867. W. H. 

 Dall (Xo. 553). 



The specimen referred to above is the first record of the occurrence in 

 America of a genus heretofore considered as belonging exclusively to the 

 Old World. 



This bird was described in 18G9 as a possible variety of F. coccinca of 

 Europe. On submitting the typical specimens to Mr. H. B. Tristram of 

 England, it was decided to be a well-marked and distinct species, as ex- 

 plained in the following extract from a letter received from liim. 



" The coloration of the back is the same as in males of P. coccinea and 

 P. ruhicilla, and differs from the coloration of the ? in all three species. In 

 all the ? has tlie back brown instead of slate-colored. Your bird, however, 

 differs from P. coccinea in having the under parts of the same color as the $ 

 of P. griseiventris with a sliglitly redder hue on the flanks, while P. coccinea 

 is a brilliant blazing red. In this your liird is like P. marina of the Azores, 

 but that has no white on the rump. 



" Nor can it be <? juv. of P. coccinea, because it has the black head, and tlie 

 young assumes the black head and red breast simultaneously, or rather tlie 

 red begins first. It differs from P. 'iiipalensis in liaving a black head and 

 broad wliite rump, as well as in size." 



Dr. 0. Finsch, of Bremen, agrees with Mr. Tristram in considering it as 

 specifically distinct, and .says that the long wliite shaft-streak im the outer- 

 most tail-feather is to be considered as one of the peculiar characters, and 

 that in general it resembles the female of P. griseiventris, Lafr., but differs 

 in having the back beautiful ash-gray. 



Habits. This new species of Bullfinch, having a close resemblance to the 

 P. coccinea of Europe, was obtained by Mr. Dall, near Nulato, Alaska, January 

 10, 1867. An Indian brought it in alive, but badly wounded, having shot it 

 from a small tree near the fort. He had never seen anything like it before, 

 nor had any of the Iiussians. Captain Everett Smith had, however, met with 

 several flocks of the same species near Ulukuk. This specimen was a male, 

 with black eyes, feet, and bill, and was the only bird of the kind met with 

 by llr. Dall. 



In size it is about eq^nal to P. coccinea, which is now quit« generally con- 

 sidered to be simply a large race of the common Ikillfinch (P. vulr/aris), and 

 the habits of the American bird are doubtless similar to those of its con- 

 geners. The European races inhabit the niomitainous regions of Northern 

 and Central Europe, apjieariiig in large flocks in December and January in 

 the more southern regions. In their return in spring to their summer quar- 

 ters, they move in smaller numbers. They nest in the mountain forests, on 

 trees or bushes. Their nest is usually but a few feet from the ground, is 

 beautifully wrought in a cup shape, made externally of small twigs, blades of 

 grass, and rootlets, lined with coarse hair. They lay five eggs, the gTound- 

 color of which shades from a light blue to a bluish or a greenish white, with 



