152 



SINGING BIRDS— OSnXES. 



Loral i-c<iion, base of lower Jaw all round, fiile?, ami post<'rior part of body, with under tail 

 coverts, asliv, whitest behind. A^'in;; with two white bands across -the tii)s of the greater 

 and middle coverts : the outer edges of the quills also white, broadest on the tertiaries. 

 Female, ashy, bi-ownish above, tinged with gi-eenish-yellow beneath ; top ol'head, rump, 





and upper tail coverts, brownish gamboge-yellow. Wings as in the male. Length about 

 8 inches ; extent, 12.75 ; wing, 4.G2 ; tail, .3.50. Iris brown ; bill brown ; legs black. 



Ilab. Arctic America. South to L^nited States, in severe winters. Resident in Sierra 

 Nevada, California. 



This beautiful bird is not uncommon near the summits of the Sierra 

 Xevada, lat. 39°, in September, and doubtless breeds there, as I obtained two 

 fine specimens in the young jdumage. These seem rather smaller than tlie 

 largest Eastern one mentionetl liy Baird, Ijut tlieir wing is longer than the 

 average (4.50), while the tail is half an inch shorter. 



Tliey were feeding on spruce seeds when I first saw them, and still 

 lingered about, after two liad lieen shot, as if waiting for their comrades, 

 soon descending to some shrubby alders to eat their seeds, then to the 



ground, where they hopped abotit for some time, uttering a low chirping 

 note, and allowing me to go within a few feet of them. 



About Hudson's Bay they are said to be quite musical in spring, and to 



