FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 103 



permit but little of its ground to be seen. The eggs vary greatly in ^ize, 

 ranging from 1.10 inches to .98 of an inch in length, and from .80 to .78 

 in breadth. 



Cardinalis virginianus, var. igneus, Baird. 



CAPE CARDINAL. 



Cardinalis igneus, Baird, Pr. Ac. Sc. Phila. 1859, 305 (Cape St. Lucas). — Elliot, lUust. 

 N. Am. Birds, I, xvi. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 238. Cardinalis virginianus, Finsch, 

 Abh. Nat. Brem. 1870, 339. 



Sp. Char. Resembling virginiamis, having, like it, the distinct grayish edges to feathers 

 of the dorsal region. Red lighter, however, and the top of head, including crest, nearly 

 pure vermilion, instead of brownish-red. Black of the lores not passing across the fore- 

 head, reaching only to the nostril. Wing, 4.00; tail, 5.00; culmen, .83; depth of bill, 

 .'66; breadth of upper mandible, .38. (No. 49,757 ^. Camp Grant, 60 miles east of 

 Tucson, Arizona). 



Female distinguishable from that of virginianus only by more swollen bill, and more 

 restricted dusky around base of bill. Young : bill deep black. 



Hab. Cape St. Lucas; Camp Grant, Arizona; Tres Marias Islands (off coast of Mex- 

 ico, latitude between 21° and 22° north). Probably Western Mexico, from Sonora south 

 to latitude of about 20°. 



In the features pointed out above, all specimens from Arizona and Tres 

 Marias, and of an exceedingly large series collected at Cape St. Lucas, differ 

 from those of other regions. • 



No specimens are in the collection from Western Mexico as far south as 

 Colima, but birds from this region will, without doubt, be found referrible 

 to the present race. 



Habits. There appears to be nothing in the habits of this form of Cardi- 

 nal, as far as known, to distinguish it from the Virginia bird ; the nest and 

 eggs, too, being almost identical. The latter average about one inch in length, 

 and .80 in breadth. Their ground-color is white, with a bluish tint. Their 

 markings are larger, and more of a rusty than an ashy brown, and the purple 

 spots are fewer and less marked than in G. virginianus. 



The memoranda of Mr. John Xantus show that in one instance a nest of 

 this bird, containing two eggs, was found in a mimosa bush four feet from 

 the ground ; another nest, with one egg, in a like situation ; a third, con- 

 taining three eggs, was about three feet from the ground ; a fourth, with 

 two eggs, was also found in a mimosa, but only a few inches above the 

 ground. 



