FRINGILLTD^ — THE FINCHES. 127 



canons of that region. They were almost always in or about the thick 

 clumps of bushes, several usually being in company. 



Dr. Kennerly, who met with them on a second trip, in June, 1855, near Los 

 Nogales, in Mexico, speaks of them as not very common in that region. He 

 found them preferring the dense bushes in the valleys. When approached, 

 they became very restless. Hying from one bush to another, accompanying 

 their motions with very peculiar notes, which he does not describe. 



Dr. Coues found this species abundantly distributed throughout the 

 warmer portions of New Mexico and Arizona, from the valley of the Eio 

 Grande to that of the Colorado. He did not observe any at Fort Whipple, 

 though they were found breeding some twenty-five miles to the southward. 

 He found them associating freely with Pvpilo ahcrti, and inhabiting the same 

 regions. The two birds have very similar habits. 



Dr. Henry also states that this species is common in New Mexico both 

 summer and winter, and, so far as he has observed, dwelling almost entirely 

 among the mountains. It appeared to him very retiring in its habits, and 

 seemed to prefer the canons. He has seldom, if ever, observed it far from 

 shady gorges, where, like its relative of the Eastern States, the Towhee 

 Bunting, it passes the greater part of its time on the ground, and is gener- 

 ally accompanied by its congener, the Arctic Finch. When disturbed, it 

 seeks the thickest cover, though it is by no means shy or difficult to approach. 

 Its nest is usually constructed in the branches of a thick cedar or dwarf oak, 

 and he has never known it to produce more than one brood in a season. 



Dr. Cooper states that these birds are very abundant in Southern Arizona^ 

 that their habits closely resemble those of P. ohcrti, and that their eggs are 

 similar to those of Pvpilo fuscus. 



Pipilo fuscus, Aar. albigula, Baird. 



CAPE TOWHEE, 



Pipilo albigula, Baikd, P. A. N. S. Nov. 1859, 305 (Cape St. Lucas). — Elliot, Illust. 

 Am. Birds, I, pi. xv ("=:f*. mcsoleucus"). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 248. 



Sp. Char. Similar to var. mesohucus, having, like it, a distinctly rufous crown and 

 white abdomen. Differing, however, in the following respects: The pale ochraceous 

 gular area is more sharply defined, the buff being confined within the encircling series 

 of dusky spots ; the buff is palest posteriorly, instead of directly the opposite. The 

 rufous of the crissal region is more restricted, only tingeing the anal region instead of 

 invading the lower part of the abdomen, the white beneath also is shifted farther back, 

 covering the abdomen alone, instead of the breast, the whole jugulum being distinctly 

 ashy, like the sides. Wing, 3.80 ; tail, 4.25. 



Hab. Cape St. Lucas. 



A very large series of specimens from Cape St. Lucas agree in possession 

 of the characters pointed out above, distinguishing them from mcsoleucus, 

 to which race the present one is most nearly related. 



