340 Birds of Colorado 



Alaska.* In this case the nest is built in the sides of 

 a bluff, and the eggs, generally five in number, are white. 

 Probably the same is the case with our present bird. 



The Brown-capped Kose-Finch is always found in 

 flocks above timber Une in summer ; generally in the 

 neighbourhood of tracts of snow over which it flits, 

 picking up small beetles and grass seeds which form its 

 chief food, off the snow. This and the Ptarmigan are 

 our highest ranging birds, seldom descending below 

 8,000 feet, except when driven doAvn by storms. 



Dennis Gale believed that they nested between June 

 15th and 25th, and that fresh eggs would be found about 

 June 25th to July 10th, but Cooke believed that they 

 bred later — ^towards the end of July. Drew saw many 

 3^oung birds about, just out of the nest, on August 17th. 



In winter this bird is associated with the other species 

 of the genus in large flocks, and occurs as high as 10,250 

 feet on Pikes Peak. 



Genus AC ANT HIS. 



Small Finches with very slender, acute and compressed bills, and 

 with the nostrils concealed by the nasal plvunes ; wing long and pointed ; 

 primaries exceeding secondaries by nearly twice the length of the 

 tarsiis ; tail long, about -75 of wing, and strongly forked ; tarsus short, 

 about i of tail ; hind claw longer than any of the others and than its 

 digit ; plumage streaky with crimson-brown. 



The Redpolls are a boreal group, breeding in the arctic regions of 

 both henaispheres and wandering south in winter. Out of four dis- 

 tinguishable forms, only one is at all common in Colorado. 



Key of the Species. 



A. Smaller ; wing about 3-0. A. linaria, p. 340. 



B. Larger; wing about 3-15. A. 1. rostrata, p. 342. 



Redpoll. Acanthis linaria. 

 A.O.U. Checklist no 528— Colorado Records— Drew 81, p. 90; 85, 

 p. 16 ; Morrison 88, p. 73 ; 89, p. 36 ; Cooke 97, pp. 98, 212 ; Hender- 

 son 03, p. 236 ; 09, p. 236 ; Warren 08, p. 23 ; 09, p. 16 ; Hersey & 

 Rockwell 09, p. 120. 

 * Except for the recent diecovcry of the nest and eggs of L. te'phrccoiii mentioned above. 



