GONIAPHEA CCERULEA, BLUE GROSBEAK. 169 



sapling, about five feet above the ground, aud was composed of pieces 

 of grass and vines laid carefully togetber, with their ends sticking out 

 four or five inches ; it contained two fresh eggs." Mr, Trippe writes to 

 me as follows: 



" The Black-headed Grosbeak arrives in the lower valleys of Bergen's 

 Park, Colorado, about the 20th of May, and by the 1st of June has be- 

 come quite numerous throughout the park. It rarely ventures higher 

 than 7,500 feet, however, as it is rare in the valley of Clear Creek, and, 

 indeed, quite uncommon outside of Bergen's Park, but is abundant 

 from there down to the plains. It is the exact counterpart of the Hose- 

 breasted Grosbeak in its flight, manner of feeding, and general habits 

 and actions, and its song closely resembles that of the latter bird, but 

 is nevertheless distinguishable. In September it disappears from the 

 upper range in the mountains." 



GONIAPHEA CCERULEA, (Linn.) Gray. 

 Blue Grosbeak. 



Loxia coerulea, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 306.— Wils., Am. Orn. iii, 1811, 78, pi. 24, f. 0. 



G-uiraca cccrtdea, Sw., Philos. Mag. i, 18-27, 438 (Mexico). — Bp., List, 1838, 30.— Woodh., 

 Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 81 (ludiau Tenitorv and Texas, very conimou). — Newu.. P. R. 

 R. Rep. vi, 1857, 88.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 499.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1859, 365 (Xulapa); 

 378 (Oaxaca); Cat. 1862, 101.— Ha yd., Rep. 1862, 168.— Coues &. Pkent., 

 SniitlLS. Rep. 1861 (1852), 413 (Washington, D. C, May to Sept., breeding, 

 rather rare). — Boakdji., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix, 1882, 127 (Cahiis, Me., " very nncer- 

 taiu, but coraniou in the spring of 1861"). — Veiui., Pr. Ess. Inst, iii, 1.58 

 (Maine, "accidental"). — Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 88 (Arizona, summer). — 

 ■ LAWit., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 286 (New York, rare) ; ix, 1868, 10-j rCosta 

 Rica); ix, 1869, 200 (Yucatan).- Coues, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 284^ (New 

 England, rare or occasional). — Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 116 (South 

 Carolina, summer, not uncommon). — Tuknb., B. E. Pa. 43 (rare straggler). — 

 SuMicn., Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1869, 5.52 (Vera Cruz, wintering) —Coop., B. Cal. 

 i, 1870, 230 (whole of California).— B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 77, pi. 29, f. 4, 5. 



Fringilla carulca, LiciiT., Verz. 1823,22.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 114.— Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 529.— 

 Ann., Orn. Biog. ii, 1834, 140; v, 1839, 508; pi. 122. 



Coccohorus acnikiis, Sw., Class. B. ii, 1837, 277. — Aud., Syn. 1839, 132. — Aud., B. Am. iii. 

 1841, 204, pi. 204.— Cai5., Mus. Hein. i, 1852, 152; J. f. 0. iv, 1856, 9 (Cuba).- 

 PuTN., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 228 (Massacliusetts, casual).— Heerm., P. R. R. 

 Rep. X, part vi, 1859, 51.— Fixscn, Abh. Nat. 1870, 339 (Mazatlan). 



Cyanoloxia cocndea, Bp., Cons]}. Av. i, 1850, 502. 



Goniaphca cwrulcn, Scr.., P. Z. S. 1856, 301 (('ordova). — Gray, Hand-list, No. 75, 35. — 

 Coues, Key, 1872, 149, lig. 93. 



Hah. — United States, southerly, from Atlantic to Pacific. In the east, north to Mid- 

 dle States regularly ; to Connecticut Valley occasionally ; to Maine casually. In tlio 

 iuterior, north to the Platte. In the west, norlh througli (."alifornia. Breeds through- 

 out its United States range. Winters in Mexico and Central America. Cuba (Cabaiiis). 



Licntonuit Witrnii''s Ejpvditlon. — 9285-87, Loup Fork of the I'latte. 



Not obtained by Captaiu Raynold.s' Expedition. 



This is essentially a southern bird, whose desultory northward exteu- 

 siou is perceived from the foregoing quotations. It i;i)pears to visit the 

 Middle States regularly, yet rarely, and is not common north of Mary- 

 land — in fact, I know of no locality in the United States where it <mu 

 be said to be abun<lant. I used to get it every s(>ason about ^Vashiug- 

 ton, where it breeds; it was (piite common in tlieohl lieids and pastures 

 just nortii of the city. I have also shot young birds in Arizona, in 

 August. The nest is phiced in the crotch of a bush or tlwartisli shrub 

 — rarely on the lower limbs of trees — geiu^rally in an old, m-glected 

 field, half overrun with shrubbery, or on the adjoining v<\\!:.(' of an open 

 piece of woods. It is built of line, dried grasses, rather inaitistically, 

 and lined with rootlets or hair. The eggs are of the palest blue shade 



