FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 133 



high mountain-ranges it was a characteristic and the Ijest-known singer, as 

 well as one of the most abundant of the Fringillidoe, being found in all 

 bushy places, from the bases to the summits of the mountains. It is exclu- 

 sively a summer species, arriving at Carson City about the middle of April. 

 He describes the usual note of this bird as very peculiar, and, as nearly as 

 can be described, a sweet laugliing utterance of the syllables kcek-kcclc, a 

 little resembling the twcct of a Canary, but very musical. This curious note 

 was generally uttered when anything unusual attracted its attention, such as 

 the approach of an intruder. Then, with elevated tail and its very conspic- 

 uous red cap raised, it would hop familiarly and unsuspiciously about. He 

 adds that it is a songster of liigh merit, in power and variety ranking very 

 little below the song of tlie Chondestcs grmnmaca. The song varies in the 

 modulations greatly with the individual, but the same general style is pre- 

 served. At times it seemed to have a slight resemblance to the song of 

 Bewick's Wren, and at others to that of a Gyanospiza, and more rarely, to 

 to be the reproduction of a passage from the song of the Chondestes. 



In the early part of July, near Austin, in the canons of the mountains, he 

 found these birds breeding in the greatest abundance, and later in the same 

 month a few of its nests were found on the East Humboldt Mountains. All 

 of its nests, with hardly an exception, were placed from eighteen inches to 

 two feet above the ground, among the thick buslies of a species of Sympliori- 

 carpus, or " snow-berry," which grows in great abundance upon the sides of 

 the canons of those mountains. The maximum number of eggs was four. 

 It was also quite a common bird in the Wahsatch Mountains, though less 

 abundant than the P. mcgalonyx. 



Mr. Allen found this Finch quite numerous in Colorado Territory, and 

 speaks of its song as very peculiar and very pleasing. It is said to resemble 

 in no respect the eastern Towhee Finch, with which it is classed, but much 

 more closely the group of Sparrows, so familiarly represented at the east 

 by tlie White-throated, being like them in habits, song, and general aspect. 

 It was more common among the foot-hills than on the plains. In Utah, 

 according to Mr. Allen, this Finch begins to appear in numbers about Sep- 

 tember 20, from its breeding-haunts in the mountains. 



Dr. Coues met with this species in Arizona, but only as a spring and au- 

 tumn migrant. None remained there in summer to breed, and none were 

 found there in the winter. In its migrations it passed rapidly by Fort 

 Whipple, being found there only during the latter part of April and the 

 beginning of May, and during the month of September. At those seasons 

 it appeared to him tlie most silent and retiring of all the Pipilos. He found 

 it very dihicult to either observe its habits or to capture it. It winters 

 sparingly at Fort Mohave. 



Specimens of this bird were taken near Lookout Mountain by C. S. Mc- 

 Carthy, and at Gilmer, in Wyoming Territory, by Mr. Durkee. 



Dr. Heermann, in his Keport on the birds observed on the 32d parallel. 



