440 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



attention, it being almost exactly similar to that of its eastern relative 

 (P. rubra). Afterwards he continually met with it in wooded portions, 

 whether among the willows and cotton wood of the river- valleys, or the 

 cedars and pinons of the mountains. In May, 1868, among the willows 

 and buffalo-berry thickets of the Truckee Valley, near Pyramid Lake, it was 

 very abundant, in company with Grosbeaks and Orioles, feeding upon the 

 buds of the grease-wood {Ohione), and later in the summer among the cedars 

 and nut-pines of East Humboldt Mountains, where the peculiar notes of the 

 young arrested his attention, resembling the complaining notes of the Blue- 

 bird, but louder and more distinct. In September he noticed them feeding, 

 among the thickets bordering the streams, upon the pulpy fruit of the 

 thorn-apple {Crata'gus) that grew plentifully in the thickets. To the east- 

 ward it was continually met with, in all wooded portions, as far as they 

 explored. 



In manners, it is very similar to the P. rubra. The songs of both birds 

 are very nearly alike, being equally fine, but tliat of this species is more sil- 

 very in tone, and uttered more falteringly. Its usual note of j^lii-H is quite 

 different from the chip-a-ra -ree of the P. rubra. 



He met with their nest and eggs at Parley's Park, Utah, June 9, 1869. 

 The nest was on the extreme end of a horizontal branch of a pine, in a grove, 

 flat, and with oidy a very slight depression, having a diameter of four and a 

 half inches, with a height of only an inch. It was composed externally of 

 only a few twigs and dry wiry stems, and lined almost entirely with fine 

 vegetable rootlets. 



The eggs, usually three in number, measure .95 by .66 of an inch. In 

 form they are a rounded-oval. Their ground-color is a light bluish-green, 

 sparingly speckled, chiefly at the larger end, with marking of umber, inter- 

 mingled with a few dots of lilac. 



Pyranga hepatica, Swainson. 



Pyranga hejmtica, S\v.\iNso.\, Phil. Mag. I, 1827, 124. — Scl.\tek, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1856, 

 124. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 18.58, 302, pi. x.xxi. — Kennerly, 131. — Ridgway, Pr. 

 A. N. S. 1869, ^132. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 144. Phcenicoftoma hepaticn, Cab. 

 Mils. Hein. 1851, 25. Pyranga azarce, Woodhouse, Sitgreave's Expl. Zuni, 1853, 82 

 (not of other authors). 



Sp. Char. "Length, 8.00"; wing, 4.12; tail, 3.36; culmen, .68; tarsus, .84. Second quill 

 longest, first intermediate between fourth and fifth. Bill somewhat shorter than that of 

 cestiva, but Ijroader and higher at the base, becoming compressed toward the end ; a dis- 

 tinct prominent tooth on commissure ; its color plumbeous-black, paler, or more bluish plum- 

 beous on lower mandible. Afale. Head above brownish-red, purer anteriorly ; rest of up- 

 per parts and sides brownish-ashy, tinged with reddish ; edges of primaries, upper tail- 

 coverts and tail, more reddish. Beneath, medially, fine light scarlet, most intense on the 

 throat, growing gradually paler posteriorly. Lores and orbital region grayish-white ; eye- 

 lids pale-red ; ear-coverts ashy-red. 



