BIRDS—FRINGILLIDAE—CARPODACUS CALIFORNICUS. 413 
List of specimens. 
Catal. |Sex. Locality. /When collected.| Whence obtained. Collected by— Length. | Stretch Wing. 
No. jof wings 
1353 | g | Carlisle, Pa_..------ | April 13, 1844 | S. F. Baird...----- [ooh < oon tense meas 6.17 10. 50 3.33 
796 | lasles doe ee Oct. 14, 1842 |.--.-- Leeann |e 5 eee: Ree) 5.83 9.83 3.17 
1380 | ee once oes April 22, 1844 |....-. niente ee oe eee 6. 42 10. 33 3.17 
2138 | 3 | La douscaae. oe April 23, 1845 |--.-.- Go see oce elo eee eee | eaz | 983] 3.47 
U9) 2oe|e == an domes asses Oct. 14, 1842 |.--.-- (Ober aeaaaas Sano eee eee see | 5.83 | 10.17 3.17 
2139 |  |_.---- oes eats April 23, 1845 |_...-- Ciena Se) ee ee ee | 6.42 | 10.17 3.17 
309 | 3g eaenee Riceeeroe ene April —, 1841 |...--- LO ee | oe 6.00 10200) |eeeeese=s 
930") O jteee=2 Nb Bee ae Ees ae April 28, 1843 |....-- Ue ee Pee een hedee cee rere eae | fetes: | ees 
7040 |] of | St. Louis, Mo-.----- May 15, 1857 | Lieut. Bryan..-.--- | W.S. Wood .-.--- eee BER eeces pseccmecié 
4853 | QO | Vermilion river, Neb.| May 8, 1856 | Dr. Hayden.-.---- |\ ut.; Warren so2=-=- 6.00 10. 00 3. 62 
CARPODACUS CALIFORNICUS, Baird. 
Western Purple Finch. 
Sp. Cu.—Similar to purpureus. Third quill longest; first shorter than the fourth. Purple of head and rump much 
darker than in C. purpureus ; the head with a broad supraorbital lateral band of lighter purple. Length, 6.25 ; wing, 3.20 5 
tail, 2.60. 
Hub.—Pacific coast of United States. 
In the examination of a large series of skins (over sixty in number) of the western purple 
finch, I have found differences which indicate either a decided geographical variety, or a distinct 
species from the typical eastern C. purpureus. The size appears somewhat less. The upper 
mandible appears lower in proportion to the inferior one, and is darker than in eastern 
specimens. The culmen is more curved, and lacks the gentle concavity on the basal portion. 
The male is of a considerably darker purple, especially on the head and the rump ; that on the 
former in quite strong and abrupt contrast to the back, instead of fading gently into it. 
The sides of the crown are of a lighter purple than elsewhere, giving rise to quite a conspicuous 
supraorbital stripe, scarcely or not at all appreciable in eastern skins. 
The female of the western type differs from that of the eastern in being more olivaceous above, 
and in having the streaks below rather larger, and not so well defined. There appears to be a 
difference in the marking of the wings. In eastern C. purpureus there is usually a well marked 
whitish band across the ends of the middle coverts, while the greater coverts, though margined 
externally by paler, have a still lighter bar across the posterior extremity, which is not seen in 
the western bird. 
The wing formula of the two species differs very greatly, the third quill in the western bird 
being generally longest, instead of the second; the first shorter than the fourth, instead of 
much longer, and shorter than the third. 
