FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 313 



The house finch in the west is even more familiar than the robin 

 in the east, nesting preferably in vines and odd nooks about houses, 

 though it adopts any site that offers, from a stew-pan hung on a nail 

 to a cactus. Its one requirement is water, and this is so absolute 

 that in the arid country the sight of one of these birds encourages 

 the explorer to go on looking, for there is surely one water hole that 

 has not dried up, be it ever so small, and he has only to follow the 

 birds to find it. 



The pretty tinch is a charming, companionable little fellow, sing- 

 ing cheerily Irom morning till night a liappy, bright song that goes 

 well with the warmth and sunshine of the low country it lives in. 

 The flight song of the male is quite characteristic, for he is so full of 

 music that he never can contain lumself, on the wing or off. He 

 fairly bubbles over with it when he goes a-courting and dances be- 

 fore his demure little brown lady-love. 



The only objection to the familiarity of these pretty finches is 

 their unfortunate though flattering appreciation of western fruit, 

 but happily this is of small moment in many of the cities within 

 their range. In El Paso, Texas, the sweet song of the finch comes 

 in through the open windows with most grateful cheer, suggesting 

 forcibly the relief it would be if the English sparrow with his un- 

 musical jabbering could be exchanged for our lovely native song- 

 ster. In some of the country districts the fact that it has been seen 

 eating Russian thistle seeds should weigh in its favor. 



519c. C. m. dementis (Mearns). Island House Finch. 



Like C. m. froutalls. but with .shorter wings, larger legs and feet, larger, 

 more convex bill, lieavier coloration, and l)roader striping on nnder parts. 

 Male: length (skins) r).2()-.").83, wing 2.<)2-;].IT, tail iM 1-2.42, bill .;^!>-.r)0. 

 Female : length (skins) r).82-.").()T, wing 2.«.>2-;5.0:). tail 2.1()-2.o(). bill .41-46. 



Distribution. — Santa Barbara Islands, California; and Todos Santos 

 Island. Lower California. 



GENUS LOXIA. 



General Characters. — Tips of bill crossed in adnlts, nasal plnmnles con- 

 apicnous, concealing' nostrils ; winp^ more than five times as long as tarsns ; 

 tail short, deeply emarginate ; tarsns short. 



KKY TO SPECIES. 



Fig. 400. 



Winp with two white bands leucoptera. p. 315. 



. Wing- without white bands. 



2. Bill heavier, wing nearly 4 Strickland!, p. 314. 



2'. Bill lighter, wing about 8.40 minor, p. 314. 



