FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 131 



is, like all its congeners, a retiring species, and keeps perseveringly in the 

 almost impenetrable undergrowtli. It is said to be more decidedly gregari- 

 ous than most of the genus, often collecting in flocks of a dozen or more, 

 wandering restlessly, yet in a cautious manner, througli the thickets. 



A nest with eggs, procured at Fort Mohave by Dr. Cooper, is in the Smith- 

 sonian Collection (No. 7,276). The egg measures .93 by .70 of an inch, is 

 obovate in shape, being much rounded at the smaller end. Its ground-color 

 is a dull white, without any perceptible tinge of blue, — though possibly 

 bluish when fresh, — with heavy dots and occasional delicate, hair-like, 

 zigzag markings of black. These markings are wholly confined to the 

 larger end. One of the eggs has tliese markings much finer, consisting of 

 minute dots, more dense, and upon tlie apex of the larger end. The nest is 

 loosely built and very bulky. Its external diameter is about six inches, and 

 its depth three. The cavity is three inches wide and two deep. It is con- 

 structed almost entirely of strips of inner bark, the coarser, ribbon-like 

 pieces being used on the outer portion, and the finer shreds composing the 

 lining. Externally are also a few sticks about one quarter of an inch in 

 diameter. 



SECTION IV. 



Crown rufous ; hody above, olive-green. 



Pipilo chlorurus, Baird. 



GREEN-TAILED BUNTING; BLANDINGS FINCH. 



Fringilla chlorura, (Townsend,) Aud. Oni. Biog. V, 1839, 336 (Young). Zonotrichia 

 chlorura, Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. Pli. 2d Series, I, 1847, 51. Embernagra chlorura, 

 BoNAP. Conspectus, 1850, 483. Fringilla bla7idingiana,G aj^ibel, Pr. A. N. Sc. Ph. I, 

 April, 1843, 260. Emhernagra hlandingiana, Cassin, Illus. I, in, 1853, 70, pi. xii. 

 Pipilo rujipilcus, Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool. XI, June, 1848, 176. — Bp. Conspectus, 

 1850, 487. Kieneriarufipileus, Bon. Comixes Rendus, XL, 1855, 356. Pipilo chlorura, 

 Baird, Birds N. Am., 1858, 519. — Heerm. X, c, 15. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 248. 



Sp. Char. Above dull grayish olive-green. Crown uniform chestnut. . Forehead with 

 superciliary stripe, and sides of the head and neck, the upper part of the breast and sides 

 of the body, bluish-ash. Chin and upper part of throat abruptly defined white, the former 

 margined by dusky, above which is a short white maxillary stripe. Under tail-coverts 

 and sides of body behind brownish-yellow. Tail-feathers generally, and exterior of wings, 

 bright olive-green, the edge and under surface of the wings bright greenish-yellow ; edge 

 of first primary white. First quill longer than eighth, fourth longest. Length, about 7 

 inches; wing, 3.20 ; tail, 3.65. 



Hab. Whole of the Middle Province, including the Rocky Mountains and eastern 

 slope of the Sierra Nevada ; north to beyond the 40th parallel ; south to Mexico. 



In this species the wing is considerably rounded, the tertials considerably 

 shorter than the primaries, and not exceeding the secondaries ; the fourth 

 quill longest, the first shorter than the sixth, the second and fifth quills 



