486 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETEST 23 7 part i 



Winter. — On a morning in early December, 30 goldfinches perched 

 in the tops of willows and valley oaks at the edge of a creek. A chorus 

 of almost continuous calls was audible, but the observer had difficulty 

 in seeing all of the birds. During the several minutes he watched them 

 he saw no foraging. Aside from the few individuals occasionally 

 hopping or flitting from one perch to another, they were sunning or 

 preening. On a January morning in 1938 a flock of more than one 

 hundred goldfinches fed on achenes of chamise. The flock moved 

 over the patch, every few minutes flying up to perch in the near-by 

 oaks, and then flying down to another spot in the chaparral. Some- 

 times eight or more gathered in one small bush, each perched at a 

 cluster of fruits and eating as fast as it could. They seemed completely 

 tolerant of each other and of other species feeding with them. Males 

 and females were present in about equal numbers. 



In late afternoon in early February, 200 to 300 goldfinches were in 



trees beside a barn, many singing their canarylike song. Toward 



the end of March, 25 or more green-backed goldfinches foraged with 



a large flock of Lawi'ence goldfinches, juncos, lark sparrows, and house 



finches on the abundant crop of seeds produced by annual plants in a 



deserted vineyard. 



Distribution 



Jlange. — The green-backed goldfinch is resident from southwestern 

 Washington (Vancouver), western Oregon (Portland, Coos County), 

 northeastern California (Modoc County), northern Nevada (Santa 

 Rosa Mountams), and northern Utah (Tooele, Alorgan, and Uintah 

 counties) south through California and central Arizona (Flagstaff, 

 Grand Canyon) to southern Baja California (Sierra de la Laguna) and 

 southern Sonora (Guirocoba). 



Casual east to eastern Oregon (Riverside), south central New 

 Mexico (San Antonio), and northwestern Durango. 



Egg dates. — ^Baja California: 16 records, April 23 to August 11; 8 

 records. May 2 to May 15. 



California: 132 records, April 2 to August 3; 66 records, May 12 

 to June 15. 



SPINUS LAWRENCEI (Cassin) 



Lawrence's Goldfinch 

 Contributed by Jean Myron Linsdale* 



Habits 



Lawrence's goldfinch is one of the several species of birds restricted 

 largely to the drier, interior parts of California. Fitted to live where 



*See footnote to preceding species, p. 474. 



