320 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 i-art i 



the island's native birds — the towhee and the Guadaloupe wren — while the rock 

 wren, junco, flicker and petrel, suflfer much from its depredations. 



In spite of its environment and enemies, the house finch seems to be 

 jQourishing, for the same authors say in the same paper: 



The house finch is by far the commonest bird of the island. Mr. Brown has 

 sent us the following account of it: "On our arrival — May 1 — well grown young 

 were about with the old birds, and at that time the house finches were scattered 

 about in large numbers all over the island. On the cliffs and about the rocks 

 near the landing there were several hundred of them. Late in June they gath- 

 ered in flocks and all left the lower altitudes, even those, some thirty or forty, 

 that had been Uving about our cabins. Empty nests were found in a variety of 

 situations, in the pines and cypresses, in cactus plants, and in crevices in the 

 rocks. Their food seemed to consist chiefly of grass seeds and insects, but the 

 birds that lived near our cabins were very partial to goat meat and made our 

 meat-shed their headquarters." 



Nesting. — Walter E. Bryant (1887) gives the following account of 

 the nesting habits of the Guadalupe house finch: 



Two nests were found in cypress trees nearly completed by February 22. A 

 nest and set of tive fresh eggs (No. 792, author's oological collection), which in 

 consequence of a heavy storm had been deserted, was taken on the 1st of March. 

 From this date began the nesting season of this species. 



The last nest, taken April 7th, contained five eggs, with small embryos in 

 them. In nearly every instance, the birds selected for a nesting place the upper 

 side of a cypress branch in the angle formed by its intersection with the trunk, 

 thus avoiding the storm-shaken foliage. They seemed to show a preference for 

 the leeward side of a tree, where the nest would be protected from prevailing 

 winds. One prudent couple had built in a clump of mistletoe, at a height of 

 twenty feet. 



Several pairs built in the tops of palms. The nests were ordinarily not more 

 than ten or fifteen feet from the ground. 



The birds make but slight demonstrations while their nest is being removed, 

 uttering only a few notes of protest, or silently witnessing a wrong hitherto un- 

 known to them. 



The material used for the outer structure of the nests consisted of the dark, 

 dead stems of weeds, only the finer ones being selected. One nest found in a 

 pine tree, had the foundation and sides made of pine needles, with the invariable 

 lining of goat's hair, black and white being used indiscriminately. The external 

 diameter of the nest is about 130 mm., with a central cavity about 65 mm. 



Eggs. — He says of these: "The eggs, sometimes four in number, 

 but oftener five during the early part of the season, are colored pre- 

 cisely like the average specimens of C. frontalis rhodocolpus, the 

 spots being either sparingly applied or entirely wanting. They also 

 resemble them in general shape, but the size seems to distinguish 

 them. The five eggs of set No. 792, measure respectively 22 X 15; 

 22 X 15.5; 22.5 X 15.5; 23 X 15.5; 23 X 16.5 mm. The length 

 measurement varies from 19.5-24 mm., and the width 15-16.5 mm. 

 The average of thirty-two specimens is 21.3 X 15.5 mm." 



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