FRINCtILLID.K — THE PINCHES. 13] 



is, like all its congeners, a retiring species, and keeps perseveringly in the 

 almost impenetrable undergrowtli. It is said to be more decidedly gregari- 

 ons than most of the genus, often collecting in flocks of a dozen or more, 

 wandering restlessly, yet in a cautious manner, tlirougli the thickets. 



A nest with eggs, procured at Fort Jlohave by Dr. Cooper, is in the Smith- 

 sonian Collection (No. 7,276). The egg measures .93 by .70 of an inch, is 

 obovate in shape, being much rounded at the smaller end. Its ground-color 

 is a dull white, without any perceptible tinge of blue, — though possibly 

 bluish when fresh, — with heavy dots and occasional delicate, liair-like, 

 zigzag markings of black. These markings are wholly coniined to tiie 

 larger end. One of the eggs has tliese markings much finer, consisting of 

 minute dots, more dense, and upon the apex of the larger end. The nest is 

 loosely built and very bulky. Its external diameter is about six inclies, and 

 its depth three. The cavity is tliree inclies wide and two deep. It is con- 

 structed almost entirely of strips of inner bark, the coarser, ribbon-like 

 pieces being used on the outer portion, and the finer shreds composing the 

 lining. Externally are also a few sticks about one quarter of an inch in 

 diameter. 



SECTION IV. 



Crown rufous ; hody above, olive-green. 



Pipilo chlorurus, r..viRD. 



GKEEN-TAILED BUNTING; BLANDING'S FINCH. 



Fringilla chlorura, (Townsend,) Aud. Om. Biog. V, 1839, 336 (Young). Zonatrichia 

 chlorura, Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. Pli. '2d Series, 1, 1847, 51. Embernagra chlorura, 

 BoN.\P. Conspectus, 1850, 483. Frinrjilla blaiidin()iana,Gi\.-a-&^h, Pr. A. N. Sc. Ph. I, 

 April, 1843, 260. Embernagra blandingiaiw, Ca.ssin, IUus. I, nr, 1853, 70, j)l. xii. 

 Fipilo nifipileus, Lafresxate, Rev. Zobl. XI, June, 1848, 176. — Bp. Con.spectus, 

 1850, 487. JCieneria. rnfijnleus, BoN. Comptes Eentlus, XL, 1855, 356. Pipilo chlorura, 

 Bairi), Birds K. Am., 1858, 519. — Hker.m. X, c, 15. —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 248. 



Sp. Char. Above dull grayish olive-green. Crown uniform cliestnut. Forehead with 

 superciliary stripe, and sides of the head and neck, the upper part of the breast and sides 

 of the body, bluish-ash. Chin and upper part of throat abruptly defined white, the former 

 margined by dusky, above which is a short vidiito maxillary stripe. Under tail-coverts 

 and sides of body behind brownish-yellow. Tail-featliers generally, and exterior of wings, 

 bright olive-green, the edge and under surface of the wings bright greenish-yellow ; edge 

 of first primary white. First quill longer than eighth, fourth longest. Length, about 7 

 inches ; wing, 3.20 ; tail, 3.65. 



Hab. Whole of the Middle Province, including the Rocky Mountains and eastern 

 slope of the Sierra Nevada ; north to beyond the 40th pa,i-allel ; south to Mexico. 



In this species the wing is considerably rounded, the tertials considerably 

 shorter than the primaries, and not exceeding the secondaries ; the fourth 

 quiU longest, the first shorter than the sixth, the second and fifth quills 



