Oct. L889.] 



AND OOLOGT8T. 



149 



five, bluish-green, speckled and splashed with 

 chocolate brown of different shades.. 



194. Qnisralns quiscula cuneuH (Ridgw.). 

 Bronzed Grackle. Summer visitant; abun- 

 dant. This species is most abundant during 

 migration, the bulk going farther north to 

 breed. Mr. Drew fixes its highest limit at 

 ."),ono feet, but I found it at 7,000 in Wyoming 

 and it probably reaches this altitude in (Color- 

 ado. Xest is placed in holes in trees, espec- 

 ially old Flicker holes and hollow stubs. Tliis 

 is the rule in the west; 1 never found a nest in 

 any other situation, while in the eastern states 

 they are generally placed on limbs of the 

 pines. 



Ut.'). C'occot/iro.ste>< reHpertina (Coop.). Even- 

 ing Grosbeak. Observed by Drew, who re- 

 cords it from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. This is 

 another bird which I can add to my La Plata 

 County list. May 17, 1887, below Fort Lewis, 

 found a flock of at least thirty of this species, 

 and secured one specimen, the rest taking 

 wing and wei'e not seen again. They kept to 

 the tops of the cottonwoods entirely. It 

 would be well to look out for this biid, as it 

 will no doubt be yet found breeding in the 

 mountains at 8,000 or 10.000 feet. 



196. Plnicola enucleator (Linn.). Pine 

 Grosbeak. Reported by Drew and Brenninger. 

 Breeds up to ll,r)00 feet, and is resident. In 

 Colorado it only breeds in the mountains, but 

 is found on the plains in winter. I quote Mr. 

 D. D. Stone.* "While on my way to a Pipit's 

 nest, a pair of Grosbeaks (Pine) commenced 

 flying about, uttering their peculiar notes. 

 Xot having time to watch them and the female 

 being the handiest, I shot her and went on. 

 The (jula being unusually pufled out, I exam- 

 ined it and found it was filled with berries 

 and small green larvaj. Evidently they had 

 young near by. Since then I have seen sev- 

 eral pairs ranging along near timber line.'" 



107. Carpodariis casxini (Baird.). Cassin's 

 Purple Finch. Resident, common in winter, 

 but the bulk go north to breed. Breeds up to 

 10.000 feet. The nest is placed iu pine trees, 

 which they frequent mostly. In winter they 

 retire to the i>lains while many pass south to a 

 warmer climate. 



108. Cdrpodarim frontalis (Say.). House 

 Finch. Reported by nearly all the members. 

 Resident: common, breeds fi-om 4,00.) to 8,000 

 feet (Drew), but I am of the opinion that its 

 breeding range is rather al»ove Mr. Drew's 

 figures. 



«). vV (>. Vol. IX. No. 1. p. 10. .Fanu.iry. 1SS4. 



109. Loxia cnrvlrostra minor (Brehm.). Am- 

 erican Crossbill. Resident in the mountains, 

 resorting to the plains in winter, tolerably 

 common. Its abundance is regulated by the 

 food supply to some extent, although it is a 

 species of roving habit, and is constantly on 

 the go, excepting during the breeding season, 

 which is generally in winter. All the T'ross- 

 bills share this habit in common. 



200. Loxia curviroMra strick-landi (Ridgw.). 

 Mexican Crossbill. The eggs of this .S2)ecies 

 taken by me in La Plata County are not dis- 

 tinguishable from those of the preceding, 

 being pale green, thickly spotted with light 

 brown. I find that the ground color in my 

 specimens has faded, being now nearly white, 

 with just a greenish tint. I obtained several 

 sets of the European Crossbill, and the eggs 

 hardly differ, although the ground color of the 

 Mexican is now ligliter. The nest taken was 

 in a pine tree, and although 1 knew there were 

 others in the vicinity I could not find them. 

 The female built her nest of grasses with a 

 few pine needles added, and all the material 

 was picked up directly under the tree in which 

 it was placed. Saw three birds collecting 

 grass and flying into the trees in the vicinity, 

 T'ontrary to Mr. Bicknell's experience my nest 

 was hidden from view in a locality where con- 

 cealment was of no use. unless the birds knew 

 a collector on sight. 



201. Loxin leucoptera (Gmel.). White- 

 winged Crossbill. While this bird is tolerably 

 common in Wyoming it is rare in this state. 

 Drew is the only one that has noticed it. It is 

 given in his list at 10,000 feet in winter. A 

 winter visitant, and probably not found except 

 in the mountains. 



202. Leticoitticfe tephrocotifi {^wuhm.}. Gray- 

 crowned Leucosticte. I quote Mr. J. A. Allen,* 

 who says " common above timber line on Mount 

 Lincoln, breeding among the snow fields. The 

 common form of L. t,ej>hror.oti.s appears to be 

 abundant in winter throughout the mountains 

 of Colorado, where I have seen specimens col- 

 lected near Denver."' Mr. Antluniy records it 

 as a winter visitant near Denver, and it, like 

 many of our Colorado birds, makes a vertical 

 migration in place of a latitudinal one, at least 

 a few do, although the bulk go to more north- 

 erly localities to bring forth its young. 



20;5. Leucosticte tephrnrotis littordlis (Baird.). 

 Hepburn's Leucosticte. Winter visitant; com- 

 mon on western, rare on tlie eastern slope of 



' Hall. M. r. Z., Vol. HI, \\. He', 1S7-2. [See also foot 

 Doto Oil siiiiu^ p.ijre, ('. F. M.] 



