FKINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES— CHRYSOMITRIS. J^l 



Chrysomitris Lawrencii, Cassin. 



LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. 



Carduelis Lawrencii, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. V. Oct. 1850, lO.'i; pi. V. (California.) — Heer- 

 MANN, P. R. Rep. X. vi. 50. — Chri/soiiiitiis Lawrencii, Bo>fAPAETE, Comptcs Rciidus, 

 Dec. 18.53, 913. — Baird, P. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 424. 



Sp. Cii.\r. Hood, sides of lioad anterior to the middle of the eye, chin, and upper part 

 of throat, blaek. Sides of head, neek, and body, upper part of neelc and tlie back, and 

 upi)er tail coverts, ash-color. Rump and lesser wing coverts yellowish-green. Throat 

 below the blaek, breast, and outer edges of all the quills (exccjjt the first primary), bright 



Female, Mate. 



greenish-yellow, passing into white behind. Wings black. Tail feathers hlaek, with a 

 white scpiare patch on the inner web, near the end ; outer edges gra}'ish ; quills blaek. 



Female, similar, witli the black of the head rejilaced by ash. Length, 4.50 ; extent, 

 8.00 ; wing, 3,00 ; tail, 2.30. Iris and feet brown ; bill smoky-white (brown in female). 



Huh. California. 



I found a few of tlii.s sjaecies at Fort Mojave, and tliey are rather numer- 

 ous near the coast, as far north as San Francisco at least, also in tlie north- 

 ern niinins; regions. 



I saw some of them in December near San Francisco, and have no duuljt 

 they remain throughout winter in all the lower country. The mountains 

 they seem to avoid, and they have not lieen observed in Oregon. 



Their habits and song are generally similar to those of C. tristis, liut their 

 voice is muclr weaker and more high in pitcli. 



Their nests I have found in a small live-oak, built very much like those 

 of C. tridis, but much smaller, the cavity measuring 1..50 X 1 inch, and the 

 eggs, four or five in number, are pure white, 0.80 X 0.4G inch. I think 

 they usually prefer the live-oak for building, as I have not found nests in 

 other situations. 



They feed sometimes on the ground on gi-ass-seeds, as well as on buds 

 and seeds of various weeds and trees. They seem more of a sylvan species 

 tlian the yellow-bird, and not so fond of willows and other trees growing 



