246 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



519. House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. 



Range. United States west of the Plains and from Oregon and Wyoming to 

 Mexico. 



This is one of the best known of western birds, and nests cqm- 



jf ' monly in all situations from trees and bushes to vines growing 



j on porches. Their nests are made of rootlets and grasses and 



I are lined with horse hair. Their nesting season includes all the 



summer months, they raising two and sometimes three broods a 



season. The three to five eggs are pale greenish blue with a few 



[Greenish blue.] sharp blackish brown specks about the large end. Size .80 x .55. 



5 I9b. St. Lucas House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus ruberrimus. 



Range. Southern Lower California. A slightly smaller variety of the pre- 

 ceding. 



5 I 9c. San Clemente House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus dementis. 



Range. San Clemente and Santa Barbara Islands. Somewhat darker than 

 the last. 



520. Guadalupe House Finch. Carpodacus amplus. 

 Range. Guadalupe Island, Lower California. 



Similar to the House Finch, but deeper red and slightly larger. Their nest- 

 ing habits and eggs are precisely like those of the House Finch but the eggs 

 average larger; size .85 x .60. 



520.1. San Benito House Finch. Carpodacus mcgregori. 



Range. San Benito Island, Lower California. 



A newly made species, hardly to be distinguished from the last. Eggs pro- 

 bably the same. 



521. American Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra minor. 



Range. Northern North America, breeding in the Alleghanies and 

 northern New England northward; winters south to the mid- 

 dle portions of the United States and casually farther. 



The birds are very curious both in appearance and actions, , - r ', 

 being very "flighty" and restless, and apt to remain to breed M f 

 on any of the mountains. They build during March or April, 

 making their nests of twigs, rootlets, moss, feathers, etc., and 

 placing them in forks or on branches of trees (usualfy coni- 

 fers) at any height from the ground. The eggs are greenish 



from 



[Greenish white.] 



white, spotted with brown and with lavender shell markings; size .75x.55. 



52 I a. Mexican Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra stricklandi. 



Range. Mountain ranges from central Mexico north to Wyoming. 



A larger variety of the preceding. The eggs will not differ except perhaps a 

 trifle in size. 



522. White-winged Crossbill. Loxia leucoptera. 



Range. Northern North America, breeding in the Alle- 

 ^> . ghanies and from northern Maine northward; winters to mid- 



// 5 *^V die portions of the United States. 



jBfL.'- jm This species is rosy red with two white wing bars. Like the 



jji last, they are of a roving disposition and are apt to be found 



^^^ in any unexpected locality. Their nesting habits are the same 



as those of the American Crossbill, but the eggs average larger 



[Greenish white.] and the markings are more blotchy; size .80 x .55. 



