^ ' 1916 J Lincoln, Nest of Leucosticte australis. 41 



THE DISCOVERY OF THE NEST AND EGGS OF LEU- 

 COSTICTE AUSTRALIS. 



BY F. C. LINCOLN. 



Plate II. 



It has become the pleasure of the writer to place on record the 

 discovery of the first nest and eggs of the Brown-capped Rosy 

 Finch {Leucosticte australis), known to science, together with an 

 account of the incidents contributary to their discovery. 



The work, which it was hoped would bring to light the eggs of 

 this species, was undertaken jointly by the Colorado Museum of 

 Natural History and Mr. William C. Bradbury of Denver, now 

 widely known among oologists as a patron of The Colorado Mu- 

 seum, through whose interest and generosity the superb collection 

 of North American birds eggs has been placed on exhibition at 

 this institution. 



Mr. Bradbury had planned to take personal charge of the task 

 but was disappointed through the necessity of a surgical operation, 

 and the work accordingly devolved upon the writer, with Mr. 

 Harold R. Durand of Littleton, Colorado, as Mr. Bradbury's 

 personal representative, and Mr. A. H. Burns of the museum staff. 



Through a former somewhat superficial experience with this 

 species, I had become convinced of the lateness of its nesting and 

 commenced the search from the old mining town of Alma, Colorado, 

 on July 9, 1915. In this connection it may be noted that other 

 arctic-alpine birds such as the White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagop'us I. 

 leucurus) and Pipit {Anthus rubescens) had hatched their eggs at 

 this date. No eggs of any other species were found. 



The nest was discovered July 11, 1915, on the southwest ex- 

 posure of the south peak of Mt. Bross, Park County, Colo., at 

 an elevation of 13,500 feet, or within 600 feet of the summit, the 

 elevation of Mt. Bross being 14,100 feet. This altitude of the 

 nest site here marks the limit of plant growth, the remaining 600 

 feet, being bare rock, either slides or in the form of outcroppings 

 or small cliffs. 



