204 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



Poospiza Belli, C.vssin. 

 BELL'S FINCH. 



Emheriza Belli, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. V. Oct. 1850, 104; pi. iv. (San Diego, Cal.) — 

 Pnosphn Bdli, ScLATEii, Pr. Zuol. Soc. 1857, 7. — Baikd, P. R. Rep. IX. Birils, 470. — 

 Kexxerly, X. iv. 29. — IIeerji.Oi.v, X. vi. 46. 



Sr. CiiAU. Upper parts generally, with sides of Lead and neek, uniform bluish-ash, 

 tinged with yellowish-gray on the crown and back, and with a few obsolete dusky streaks 

 on the interscapular region. Beneath, pure white, tinged with yellowish-brown on the 

 sides and under the tail. Eyelids, short streak from the bill to above the eye, and small 

 median spot at the base of bill, white. A stripe on the sides of thi'oat and spot on the 



upper part of the breast, with the loral space and region round the eyes, plumbeous black. 

 Tail feathers black ; the outer edged with white. Wing feathers all broadly edged with 

 brownish-yellow ; the carpal joint tinged with yellowish-green. Bill and feet blue. Length, 

 6.00 ; extent, 9.00 ; wing, 3.00. Iris brown ; bill brown, pale below ; feet brown. 



Ilah. California and Valley of Gihx and Colorado to Fort Thorn. North to lat. 38° 30', 

 in Sacramento Valley. 



Tlie extensive thickets, called chapan-al, wliich cover ban-en dry tracts for 

 miles, in all the southern lialf of California, are the favorite resorts of this 

 little bird. There they pick up a living from small seeds, and probably 

 insects, being apparently quite indifferent as to water, or depending on that 

 dropping from the foliage after dews and fogs. They may be seen running 

 rapidly, or rather hopping along the ground, with tail carried perfectly erect, 

 and at the least alarm seeking tlie friendly thicket. They reside all the 

 year in the same localities, and are numerous on the island of San Nicolas, 

 eighty miles from the main-land, tliough I saw none on the other island.s, 

 except one on Santa Barbara. 



In spring the males sing a low, monotonous ditty from the top of a favor- 

 ite slirub, answering eacli otlier from long distances. Their nest, btiilt about 

 three feet from the ground, is composed of grasses and slender weeds, lined 



