336 



ZOOLOGY— BIRDS. 



portions of Arizona and New Mexico, though by no means wanting in 

 these districts. 



It is one of the characteristic birds of the westera woods, conspicuous 

 for its beautiful phimage and its loud, peculiar notes. In habits, it is largely, 

 though not exclusively, pinicoline, being found throughout the heavy pine 

 timber of the mountainous districts. It was observed to be numerous in such 

 localities, both in Arizona and New Mexico. Like others of the family, it is 

 gifted with considerable curiosity, which is rarely sufficient to overcome its 

 naturally suspicious disposition. During the fall, they move about in small 

 parties of six or eight, and spend considei'able time on the ground, hunting 

 after seeds, acorns, and berries, which supplement at this season their usual 

 fare, consisting of the seeds of coniferous ti*ees. - 1 have often come suddenly 

 upon a party when thus silently and busily engaged, not less to my own 

 than to their surprise. A single note was sufficient to alarm the flock, when 

 they would fly to the nearest tree, and watch every motion with evident 

 interest, keeping up a constant chattering and screaming. Their natural 

 distrust, however, would soon induce them to place a wider interval between 

 us, and to approach a second time would have been no easy matter. 



On the Rio Grande, Colorado, they daily visited om- camp in numbers, 

 contending with Clarke's Crows for the scraps of refuse food. 



