566 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



Genus HESPERIPHONA Bonap. 



234. Hesperiphona vespertina (Coop.). 

 Evening Grosbeak. 



Coccothraitstcs vespertiiius (Coop.), A. O. U. Check List, 1895, p. 211. 

 Distr.: Interior of eastern North America, from New York and 

 New England west to the Rocky Mountains and north to the British 

 provinces (Saskatchewan) ; south in winter to Ohio, Kansas, Wis- 

 consin, northern Ilhnois, and northern Indiana. Breeding range 

 unknown. 



Adult male: Bill, very large and thick, pale greenish yellow in 

 color; forehead, yellow, the color extending back in a line over the 



eye; crown, blackish; sides of 

 head, grayish olive brown; upper 

 back, brownish olive; breast, 

 yellowish olive, shading into 

 ~^^ yellow on the belly and under 

 . tail coverts; rump, yellow; 

 wings and tail, black, the ter- 

 minal half of the secondaries 

 and coverts, pure white. 



Adult female: General plu- 

 mage, grayish brown, darkest, 

 on top and sides of head; upper throat, whitish; sides of body and 

 under wing coverts, more or less tinged with yellow; wings and tail, 

 black, marked with more or less white, the tail feathers being tip- 

 ped with white on ianer webs. 



Length, 7.25 to 8.50; wing, 4.10 to 4.60; tail, 2.75; bill, .70. 

 This fine species is a not uncommon winter visitant in Wisconsin 

 and occurs occasionally in winter in northern Illinois. Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson states: "A winter visitant occurring at irregular intervals. In 

 the winter of 187 i they wer equite common throughout the northern 

 portion of the state." Mr. F. M. Woodruff considers it a very irreg- 

 ular winter visitant to northeastern Illinois. He procured a speci- 

 men at River Forest on January 13, 18S7, and another at Englewood, 

 March, 1888. He writes: " Mr. B. T. Gault informs me that on 

 December 25, 1886, he observed five in Garfield Park, Chicago, where 

 they were feeding upon the keys of the box elder. * * * * ^'^ Mr. 

 H. K. Coale has furnished me with the following interesting record: 

 " On Febr. 11, 1887, Mr. E. A. Colby shot twelve Evening Grosbeaks 

 in Chicago, which he presented to me in the flesh; he also saw several 

 flocks during the winter feeding on the buds of trees." (Birds of the 



Male. 



