FRINGILLID^ — THK FINCHES. 507 



Leucosticte tephrocotis, \iu. campestris, Baikd. == <^- 



THE GRAY-CHEEKED FINCH. 



Leucosticte campestris, Baird, Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 163, 1870. 



Sp. Char. Body light chocolate-brown, the feathers edged with paler, those of the 

 back with rather darker centres. Featliers of anal region, flanks behind, crissum, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts, wing-coverts, and jirimary quills, edged with rose-red ; secondary 

 quills and tail-feathers with pale fulvous ; little or no trace of rose on under wings. Fore- 

 head and patch on crown blackish ; the hind head to nape, cheeks immediately under the 

 eye (but not including the auriculars, except, perhaps, the most anterior) and base of 

 lower mandible all round, ashy-gray. Throat dusky. Bill yellowi.sh, with dusky tip. 

 Legs dusky. 



No. 41,527, near Denver City, Col., .January, 1862 (Dr. C. Wernigk). Length, 7.00 ; 

 wing, 4.00; tail, 3.00; exposed portion of tirst primary, 3.10. Bill from forehead, .60; 

 from nostril, .40 ; tarsus, .75 ; middle toe and claw, .80 ; claw alone. .24 ; hind toe and 

 claw, .80 ; claw alone, .37. 



Hab. Colorado Territory (Dr. Wernigk) ; Wyoming Territory (Mr. H. E. Durkee). 



This form hears a close resemblance to L. tcplirocotla, and may, indeed, be 

 a variety of it ; but as it differs in the characters that appear generally to be 

 those most constant in Leucosticte, and as, in iifty skins of the tephrocotis 

 from one locality, we have seen nothing like it, we are inclined to consider 

 them distinct. The size and general appearance are much the same, tlie 

 difference being tliat in tephrocotis the whole cheeks are chocolate below the 

 level of the eye, the chin without any gray ; while in campestris the sides 

 of head below the eye, but not including the ears, witli a narrow border of 

 the chin, are of this color. 



From littoralis this form may be distinguished by the less extent of asli 

 on the cheeks, which in littoralis covers the whole ears, and extends back 

 farther on the head all round. L. griseinvxha is marked like littoi'alis, and 

 is much larger than either. Possibly it may be well to entertain the idea 

 of its being a hybrid between tephrocotis and littoralis or griseinvcha. 



The specimen described was presented to the Smithsonian Institution by 

 Dr. AVernigk, and at the time was supposed to be Z. tephrocotis. 



Of this form, nothing as to its habits is known witli certainty. It proba- 

 bly does not differ in any important respect from the allied races. 



Leucosticte tephrocotis, var. littoralis, Baird. 



HEPBURN'S FINCH. 



Leiicosiicte griseinuclm, Elliot, lUust. Birds Am. X. Leucosticte littoralis, Baikd, Tr. Ch. 

 A. S. I, 1869, 318, pi. x.xviii, f. 1. — Dall & Bannister, lb. p. 282. —Cooper, Orn. 

 Cal. 1, 162. 



Sp. Char. Body chocolate-brown, the feathers narrowly margined with paler, those of 

 the back with rather darker centres Abdomen, flanks, crissum, rump, upper tail-coverts, 



