684 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



The lazuli finch, or blue linuet, is very common near Ogden, and 

 in the bushes that border some of the streams in Teton Basin. There 

 are but few of our western birds tliat rival or even equal this handsome 

 little bird, either in beauty of plumage or sweetness of voice. They are 

 greenish blue above, the head and neck being of the same color ; the 

 upper part of the breast is chestnut, separated from the throat by a faint 

 white crescent, and the belly is white. They seem to take great delight 

 in perching themselves up among the branches of some scrub-oaks, not 

 far apart, trying to see who shall excel the other in pouring forth their 

 sweet melodies. 



1 obtained three nests of this species at Ogden ; one, No. 8, (16283,) 

 was on a scrub-oak about three feet high, and the other two, i<fos. 

 9 (1G284,) and 35 (1G285,) were on sage-bushes, (artemisia,) about two 

 feet above the ground. The eggs, generally four in number, are laid 

 about the first or middle of June, in a beautiful downy nest, composed 

 of fibrous grasses and wool, lined with hair. 



Plpilo megaloiiyXj Baird, (spurred towhee.) 



Kah. — Southern coast of California and across through valleys of Gila 

 and Eio Grande, west to Kocky Mountains. 



Spurred towhees are very plentiful in the scrub-oaks near Ogden; 

 we saw none elsewhere. In habits they greatly resemble the black- 

 headed grosbeak, {Guiraca 'melanoce])liala.) About the middle of Juue 

 they build a rude nest of dry grass and leaves ; this is placed on the 

 ground, generally at the foot of a small bush, and contains four or five 

 light-colored eggs, spotted with reddish brown. 



Plpilo cMorura, Baird, (green-tailed finch.) 



Eab. — Valley of liTio Grande and Gila; Eocky Mountains north to 

 Yellowstone Lake ; sduth to Mexico. 



We did not meet with this species in abundance at any locality on 

 our route. 



