FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



307 



GENUS COCCOTHRAUSTES. 

 Subgenus Hesperiphona. 



514a. Coccothraustes vespertinus niontanus {Ridgic). 

 Westekx Evkning Gros'keak. 

 Bill large, swollen, depth at base g-reater than length of liind toe with 

 claw ; wing long, pointed, more than five times as long as tarsns ; tail 

 short, emarginate ; feet small and 

 "weak ; tarsus little if any longer 

 than fulmen. Adult male : forehead 

 and superciliary bright yellow ; 

 crown, wings, and tail black, wings 

 with large white patches ; rest of 

 upper parts olive, grading through 

 yellowish green to yellow on rump ; 

 luider parts greenish yellow, be- 

 coming lemon yellow on under wing 

 and tail coverts. Adult female : 

 prevailing- color yellowish or yellow- 

 ish brown ; throat bordered by 

 dusky ; whitish patch on wings. 

 Youny : similar to female, but duller 

 and markings less defined. Male : 

 length (skins), (KTO-T.-iO, wing 4.1S- 

 4.5i», tail 2.50-2.87, bill .T8-.89, 

 width of bill at base .49-.00. Fe- 

 male : length (skins). 0.">0-7.o(), wing 

 4.10-4.40, tail 2.4()-2.7S, bill .74- 

 JSo^ width of bill at base, .51.-57. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and 

 United States from the Phiins to the Pacific, 

 of nortlnvestern Mexico. 



Nest. — 15 to 50 feet from the ground in the top of a conifer or thick 

 willow, a comparatively flat, slight structure of small sticks, roots, and 

 sometimes tree lichens lined with finer roots. Fygs : ."! or 4, clear green, 

 blotched with pale brown. 



Food. — Insects, such as caterpillars ; seeds, and the fruit or buds of mis- 

 tletoe, hackberry, box elder, juniper, maple, ash, alder, and related 

 species. 



In the Canadian zone forests after the nesting season you occa- 

 sionally see a wandering Hock of evening grosbeaks. Sometimes 

 there will he only seven or eight in the flock, sometimes twenty-five 

 or more. Their commonest call, as they pass over or light in a tir top, 

 is a short whistle that can always be recognized hy its wild, free 

 (|uality, but they have also a loud 'beady' note sonu'thiiig like 

 that of the WMXwing. 



In the mountains of Arizona the grosbeaks breed in canyons and 

 near water. Dr. M«'arns says, afterwards desct-nding to the oaks of 

 the foothills with their young. 



In winter, grosbeaks are very coiumiou in Portland. Oregon, wlieic 

 Mr. Anthony says large lloeks feed in tiic niaplis, j^ickinu up the 

 fallen seeds at the feet of passers by. 



Fig. 393. 



Hudsonian zones 

 and south throuah 



u western 

 mountains 



