328 Birds of Colorado 



males are occasionally met with having the plumage of the female, 

 and the amount of red or yellow is subject to considerable variation. 



Distribution. — The Rocky Mountain Pine-Grosbeak is confined to 

 the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Montana to New Mexico, and 

 breeds throughout its range at high elevations. The species as a 

 whole is found over the northern parts of the Old and New Worlds. 



In Colorado the Pine -Grosbeak is a not uncommon resident at high 

 elevations, chiefly between 9,500 and 12,000 feet, where it is found 

 throughout the year, though occasionally stragglers descend to the 

 foothills and plains, probably driven down by storms. It has been 

 recorded as follows : Estes Park, at timber line (Kellogg and McGregor), 

 Boulder co., 10,000 feet, July, 9,000 feet, November (Gale) ; slope of 

 James Peak (Trippe), Breckenridge, breeding (Carter), Tennessee 

 Gulch, Lake co. and Pikes Peak (Aiken), Crested Butte, October 

 (Warren), S. Mamm Peak, 10,000 feet. Mesa co. (Rockwell), San Juan 

 CO. (Drew) and La Plata co. (Morrison) ; stragglers to the plains have 

 been noticed at Fort Collins in November (Breninger), and at Fort 

 Lyon by Captain Thome (Cooke). 



Habits. — ^As its name implies this bird is chiefly found 

 in the pine woods, and except during the breeding season 

 is generally in flocks or small parties ; it feeds chiefly 

 on the buds and seeds of the pines as well as on those 

 of the birch and alder, and perhaps a few berries and 

 insects, especially in the breeding season. It has a 

 clear, sweet, flowing song, something like that of the 

 Purple Finch. It nests in July near timber line at 

 11,000 feet, according to Mrs. Stone, but information 

 in regard to its breeding habits is very scanty. 



Genus CARPODACUS. 



Moderate-sized birds — wings under 4-0, with a moderately 

 developed, slightly swollen bill ; the culmen either straight or curved, 

 and the mandibles of approximately equal depth ; nostrils hardly 

 concealed by the forwardly growing brLstles ; wings long and pointed ; 

 tail rather short or moderate, from -62 to -77 of the wing, sUghtly 

 emarginate to nearly square ; plumage of the males with crimson, of 

 the females stripy brown. 



A large geniLs with a number of species distributed over the temperate 

 regions of Europe, Asia and North America. Two species commonly 

 occur in Colorado, while a third, the eastern Purple Finch, is a straggler. 



