FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES — CARPODACUS. I55 



Femide, olivaceous-brown; brigliter on the rump. Beneath white. All the feathers 

 everywhere streaked with brown, e.xcept on the middle of the belly and under coverts ; a 

 superciliary light strij)0. No light edging to wing coverts. Length, G. 25 ; extent, 10.25 ; 

 wing, 3.25 ; tail, 2.50. Iris brown ; bill and feet paler brown. 



Hah. Pacific Coast of the United States, chiefly northward. 



This brightly jjhuuaged little l)ird is ratlier a northern species, being com- 

 mon at the Columbia lii\er and northward, whUe iir this State it has not 

 yet been found south of Monterey on the coast, and Fort Tejon in the Sierra 

 Nevada. In summer they frei^uent the mountain forests, especially those 

 composed in part of Coidfcnv, while in winter they descend to the valleys, 

 and associate with their more southern cousins, the C. frontalis. I found 

 them in ^lay on the summits of the Coast Range towards Santa Cruz, but 

 not very numerous. They then had nests, but I did not succeed in finding 

 any. That of the closely allied (J. inirpurcus of the Eastern States is built 

 in a low tree, composed of coarse grass lined with root fibres, and the eggs, 

 five in number, are of a rather pale green, with scattered dots and streaks 

 of dark brown or dull purple. 



The song of tliis liird is quite loud and varied, often resembling that of 

 difierent birds, sucli as Vireos and Dcndroicas, for which I have mistaken 

 it. This would doubtless succeed as well in a cage as the other spe- 

 cies ; but I liave not seen any in ca^jtivity, though the Eastern species is 

 often sold in cages by the name of liiniets. Tlieir food consists of all 

 such seeds and berries as they can obtain, besides buds of trees in times of 

 scarcity. 



Carpodacus Cassinii, Pi.urd. 



CASSIN'S PURPLE FINCH. 



Cai-podcicus Cassinii, Baird, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sc. Pliila. VII. June, 1854, 119. Id. P. R. Rep. 

 IX. Birds, 414. — Kenneklt, X. iv. 27 ; pi. xxvii. f. I. 



Sp. C11.A.K. Larger than C Cali/ornicus. Bill 0.55 of an inch above. Second and 

 third quills longest ; first longer than fourth. Above pule grayish-brown, the fo'athers 



MaU. 



