196 ZOOLOGY. 



gp. CH. Above pinkish br.iwn, the feathers of the back streaked with dusky. A broad band across the crown, extending 

 backwards along the lateral tufts ; a crcicentic patch from the bill below the eye and along the side of the head ; a jugular 

 crescent, and the tail feathers, black ; the innermost of the latter like the back. A frontal band extending backwards over 

 the eye, and under parts, with outer edge of wings and tail white. Chin and throat yellow. 



Length of Pennsylvania specimens, 7.75 ; wing, 4.50 ; tail, 3.25 ; bill above, .52. 



Var. chrysolaema, smaller and lighter colored. Length, 6.50 to 7.25; extent, 11.50 to 12.25; iris brown; bill black, 

 bluish below ; feet black. 



Hab. Everywhere on the prairies and desert plains of North America. Atlantic States in winter. 



The shore or &quot; horned 7 lark is abundant on the prairies of the interior, but I have only seen 

 one on the coast border. They seem to be permanent residents in ordinary seasons, and are 

 more gregarious and common in winter. I once met with one on a gravelly plain near Olympia, 

 scratching out a hollow under a tussock of grass for its nest, as late as the 1st of July. C. 



A very abundant summer resident on the gravelly prairies near Fort Steilacoom. It is a 

 tame, unsuspicious bird, allowing man s approach to within a few feet of it. It is essentially 

 a ground bird, rarely alighting on bushes or shrubs. S. 



Family EKIN GILLID AE . The Finches. 

 Sub-Family COCCOTHRAUSTINAE. Wood Finches. 



HESPERIPHONA YESPERTINA, Bo nap. 



Evening Grosbeak. 



Fringilla Vespertina, COOPER, Annals New York Lyceum, N. H. I, n, 1825, 220. (Sault Ste. Maria.) AUD. Orn. 



Biog. IV, 1838, 515 ; V, 235 ; pi. 373, 424. 



Fringilla (Coccolhraustes) vespertina, BON. Syn. 1828, 113. IB Zool. Jour. IV, 1828, 2. IB. Am. Orn. II ; pi. xv. 

 Coccothrausies vespertina, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 269. AUD. Syn. 134. IB. Birds Amer. Ill, 1841, 217 ; pi. 207. 

 Hesperiphona vespertina, BON. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, Sept. 1850, 424. IB. Conspectus, 1850, 505. BAIRD, Gen. 



Rep. Birds, p. 409. 

 Coccotkraustes bonapartii, LESSON, Illust. de Zool. 1834 ; pi. xxxiv. 



SP. CH. Bill yellowish green, dusky at the base. Anterior half of the body dark yellowish olive, shading into yellow to 

 +he rump above, and the under tail coverts below. Outer scapulars, a broad frontal band continued on each side over the 

 eye, axillaries, and middle of under wing coverts, yellow. Feathers along the extreme base of the bill, the crown, tibiae, 

 wings, upper tail coverts, and tail, black ; inner greater wing coverts and tertiaries white. Length, 7. 50 ; extent, 13 ; 

 wing, 4. 30 ; tail, 2. 75. Iris brown, legs pale brown. Female a little smaller. 



Ildb. Pacific coast Rocky mountains ; northern America east to Lake Superior. 



The evening grosbeak is a common resident in the forests, but as it frequents the summits of 

 the tallest trees its habits are difficult to observe. In January, 1854, during a snow-storm, a 

 flock descended to some low bushes at Vancouver, and began to eat the seeds. I obtained four 

 of them. Since then I have only seen this bird flying high, among the poplars chiefly, on the 

 seeds of which they feed, uttering their loud, shrill call-note. I have heard, in early morning, 

 a few loud, clear whistled notes, which I supposed to be made by this bird. C. 



CARPODACUS CALIFORNICUS, Baird. 



Western Purple Finch. 



BAIED, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 413. 



Third quill longest ; first shorter than the fourth. Purple of head and rump much darker than in C. purpureus ; the head, 

 with a broad supra-orbital lateral band, lighter purple. Body crimson, palest on the rump and breast, darkest across the 



