'60 



THE OOLOGIST. 



I hope this will he of interest to the 

 readers of the Oologist an 1 that we 

 will see more articles in its L-oUimns on 

 water l)irds. 



F. C. Shepherd, 

 Hastings, Minn. 



House Finch. 



( Carpodacus frontalis .) 

 A common resident of all parts of 

 California is the House Finch, or as 

 he is more commonly termed Red- 

 headed Linnet. I have found this spec- 

 ies of FringiUidac very common in 

 Southern California where the serenity 

 of nature is undisturbed by wintry 

 blasts, where frost and storms are un- 

 known. 



The House Finch is a sweet 

 songster; from \xuy suitable perch, a 

 tree, chimney, fence, or house-top. The 

 merry song of this bird may be heard 

 in any month of the year. Spi'ing and 

 Summer are to him days of sweetest 

 bliss; feeding and singing, singing and 

 feeding from morning till night. How 

 often does he visit the cherry orchard, 

 but does he not pay for the cherries in 

 songs? I fear, however, the farmers 

 prefer the more sul)stantial, money rea- 

 lizing cherries, rather than the pleas- 

 ant songs. To-day in mid-winter I 

 heard a little fellow on the top of a 

 neighboring Ijarn singing with all his 

 might. Perhaps the bright sun and 

 green fields reminded him of his distant 

 summer home which he had just left 

 cold, dreary and lifeless. He must have 

 been a stranger for his song seemed to 

 out-class tlie songs of our liirds which 

 have grown somewliat indolent basking 

 in tlie ray.s of an ever genial sun. The 

 invigorating siglit was conducive to 

 such a song ; everything was given 

 with a cloudless sky overhead, the gen 



golden oranges. A strawberry patch 

 lay close at hand and from this the lit- 

 tle rascal had just eraei'ged after having 

 a delicious feast, yes, a feast on rich, 

 red strawberries in mid-winter. He 

 sang as if his little throat would burst, 

 his form quivered with the fervor of his 

 song — ample renumeration was given 

 for the few berries he had taken. At 

 last his song ceased, and with a few 

 merry chirps he threw himself into the 

 air and was soon lost to sight. I will 

 wager, however, the strawberry patch 

 will receive anotlier visit from this same 

 roguish little fellow, but let him come 

 with that cheerful song — he is a wel- 

 come visitor. 



Although his habitat is confined to 

 the temperate parts of Western North 

 America. T venture to say that the 

 House Finch has as much bird 

 knowledge and experience as a,nj cos- 

 mopolite in the feathei'ed world. 

 Quick yet dignified in actions, pleas- 

 ant in appearance, sweet and cheerful 

 in song, the House Finch has made 

 himself a favorite in the homes of the 

 West. 



As may be expected, the House Finch 

 is not select in its site for a home. After 

 match-making is over, any place that 

 suits the artless fancy of the bii'ds is 

 chosen as the place for their home, then 

 both male and female go to work with 

 a will collecting roots, bits of paper, 

 strings horse hair, in fact anything 

 readily obtained. The nest is soon con- 

 structed and in it are placed four or 

 six bluish-white eggs, dotted with dark 

 browiiish black. The eggs are about 

 size of those of the Orchaid Oriole, per- 

 haps a tiitle smaller. I well remember 

 my tiist lind as an oologist was a set of 

 this si)ecies. I lemember how I scram- 

 bled out on the horizontal limb of an 

 oak, swaying to and fro with the bi'eeze 

 while a friend coaxed me on with Hat- 



tlest of breezes played carelessly in an 

 orange grove below exposing, now and , Bering terms only used by those who 

 then through the leaves as they opened stand on the solid eartli. I got tliat 

 and closed with the varying winds, rich nest and carried it home ia triumph, 



