284 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 paRT i 



out of the nest were noted as early as the middle of July. Upon their 

 appearance purple finches were very much in evidence on the highest 

 ridges in the mountains (altitudes of 9,000 feet and above). The 

 juvenals kept up a continuous vociferous clatter. A bird would fly 

 from one tree to another and then the other members of the family 

 would follow. Feeding of the young was by regurgitation." 



On Mount Rainier Taylor and Shaw (1927) comment that: "On 

 August 8 a company of adults and young was observed at Glacier 

 Basin, on the northeast side of the park. At this date the immature 

 birds were still being fed by their parents. Young birds were also 

 seen at Sunset Park a month later." 



Judging from the egg dates it appears probable that, in some 

 instances at least, two broods may be reared in a single season. By 

 the end of the nesting season in the middle of summer family groups 

 tend to move temporarily to higher elevations in the mountains. 



Plumages. — No information is at hand regarding the natal plumage 

 of the Cassin's finch. Regarding the juvenal plumage Ridgway (1901) 

 says: "Similar to adult female, but streaks on lower parts narrower 

 and less distinct, and wing-edgings more or less ochraceous or buffy." 

 Two juvenals in the collection of the Cahfornia Academy of Sciences 

 have the feathers of the back and top of the head with decidedly 

 buffy margins in contrast to the olive-gray tones so characteristic of 

 the adult females. Furthermore, the central streaks on these feathers 

 are black rather than dusky as in the adult female. 



The first winter plumage is indistinguishable from that of the adult 

 female plumage. It is acquired by the end of the first summer and 

 retained for a year. 



Arvey (1938) has presented some interesting Information relating 

 to color changes, seemingly induced by diet in a captive Cassin's 

 finch. The bird was in the adult red plumage when captured in 

 December. During the succeeding months it was fed on a seed diet 

 until the start of the annual molt, at which time it was noted that the 

 new flight feathers were nearly white. The bird was then given a 

 soft-bill type of food containing animal matter in addition to the seeds, 

 but the additional new flight feathers came in white and the red 

 contour feathers were gradually being replaced by new yellow-colored 

 feathers. Before the molt had been completed, red pyracantha berries 

 were added to the diet with the result that all the flight feathers that 

 came in after this time were normally pigmented, and the remaining 

 old red contour feathers were replaced by new ones that were red, not 

 yellow. A. J. van Rossem (1921) had previously reported an adult 

 male Cassin's finch that had the red replaced by lemon yellow, taken 

 in Sierra County, Calif. 



