108 CARPODACUS FRONTALIS, CRIMSON-FRONTED FINCH. 



b. rhodocolpus. 



Carpodacm rhodocolpus, Car., Mus. Heiu. 1851, 166.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1856, :W4 ; 1857, 127. 

 Carj}odaeii.s frontalis var. rliodovolpus, Ridgw., Am. Joura. Sci. v, 1873, 39. — B. B. tfc R., 

 N. A. B. i, 1874, 468, pi. 21, f. 9. 



c. JuvmorrJious. 



Pyrrluda frontalis, Sw., Syn. Mex. B. iu Phil. Mag. i, 1827, 435, No. 52. 



Eri)throspi:a frontalis, Bp., "Osserv. Reg. aulm. Ciiv., ]). 8U." — (f) AuD., Syn. 1839, 125; 



B. Am. iii, 1841, 175, pi. 197 {{Frimjilla frontalis of the folio ed., pi. 424). 

 Carpodacus frontalis, Bp. & SciiL., Mon. Lox. 15, pi. 16. 

 Frimjilla lia-morrlioa. Wag., Isis, 1831, 525. 

 Carpodacus hwmorrltous, ScL., P. Z. S. 1856, 304 (Cordova) ; 1858, 303 ; 1859, 380 (Oaxaca) ; 



Cat. 1862, 122.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 417.— Sumich., Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1869, 55U. 

 Carpodacus frontalis var. luvmorrhous, Ridgw., /. c. 



Hah. — Southern Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada, United States. North to the 

 headwaters of the Platte or further, and on the Pacific side to Oregon. Var. rhodocolpus 

 from the Pacific coast, Southern California, to Colima. Var. ha;morrhous from the Table 

 Lands of Mexico. 



While I am willing to follow Mr. Ridway in adopting a Mexican var. ha?morrhous, I 

 do not feel satisfied of the necessity for recognizing var. rhodocolpus — at least my col- 

 lections do not bear out the asserted differences. Comparing one from New Jlexico 

 with another from Southern California, both males in good plumage, the red of the 

 former is seen to "spread" more than that of the latter, instead of the reverse, as 

 ought to be the case, according to Mr. Ridgway. Still he has examined much more 

 material than I have, and I presume his definition is borne out, as a rule; and this is 

 all, I believe, tha,t is claimed in such cases. Some of the above quotations under var. 

 frontalis include, or refer to, var. rhodocolpus. Females and young of the several vari- 

 eties are indistinguishable. 



I met with great numbers of "Burions" on first entering New Mexico, 

 and traced them thence across the continent to the Pacific, at San Pedro, 

 In the Mexican towns they were as pleutifid, fearless and familiar, as 

 the English Sparrows have become in many of our eastern cities, breed- 

 ing in all sorts of nooks about the buildings, as well as in the forks of 

 trees in the court yards and streets. It is a pleasing feature in the dirty 

 Mexican settlements which, with questionable taste, it selects as its 

 abode, and where the air is vocal all the day long with its delightful 

 melody. They are seldom molested by the worthless population, who 

 have only just energy enough to bask by day in the sun rolling cigar- 

 ettes, and cheat each other at cards by night ; consequently the little 

 birds thrive, and no doubt live as happily as if thej were appreciated. 

 The materials of the nests are as various as the location ; but the struct- 

 ure is usually of grasses, lined with finer dried roots or hair. The eggs, 

 five or six in number, are about three-fourths of an inch long by three- 

 fifths wide, and pale bluish, marked, chiefly near the larger end, with 

 specks and lines of blackish-brown. Two or three broods are reared 

 each year. Among the situations chosen for the nest. Dr. Cooper men- 

 tions trees, logs and rocks, "the top rail of a picket- fence, inside a win- 

 dow-shutter, in the holes of walls, under tile or thatch roofs, in hay- 

 stacks and barns, iu the interstices between the sticks of a Hawk's nest, 

 and in the old nest of an Oriole ;" to which Ur. Heermaun adds, cactuses 

 and Woodpeckers' holes. In the Rio Grande towns, where Barn Swal- 

 lows were breeding plentifully, the House Finches used to occupy last 

 year's Swallows' nests, and not unfrequenly would take possession by 

 force, after an animated contest, of a nest just finished, making its dis- 

 consolate owners, who had little chance against the spirited interlopers, 

 build another nest. But as a rule, the Finches and Swallows lived ami- 

 cably, the former rather prefer! ng the trees in the areas, while the gen- 

 tle Swallows nestled under the eaves on projecting rafters. 



In the interior of Arizona, where towns were not, and have not yet 

 become, the established order of things, I found the Burions no more 



