FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 309 



coverts ; plumage everywhere gray beneath the surface, giving an effect 

 of immaturity ; scapulars and feathers of the central back with only faint 

 trace of dusky centers ; wings and tail dusky, feathers tipped and edged with 

 whitish. Adult female : general color clear ash gray, bright tawny yellow 

 on top and sides of head, back of neck, and middle of breast ; tail with 

 faint yellow wash on upper coverts. Young: like female, but brownish 

 gray, with brownish and grayish edgings to wings and tail. Male : length 

 (skins), 7.75, wing 4.33-4.52, tail 3.60-4.21, bill .55-.S9. Female: length 

 (skins), 7.40-7.95, wing 4.05-*4.25, tail 3.58-4.05, bill .55-62. 



Distribution. Breeds in Hudsonian zone in the higher parts of the 

 Sierra Nevada, central California. 



Nest. (Two, 16 and 35 feet from ground.) A platform of evergreen 

 twigs thickly lined with light-colored grasses. Eggs: nile blue, irregularly 

 marked with dark brown. 



The California form of Pinicola is found in the high Sierra, and 

 in July, 1900, when climbing the wooded side of the old crater of 

 Lincoln Peak, we had the good fortune to meet with a pair of the 

 lovely birds at 7800 feet. They were as characteristically tame and 

 trustful as they always are in gunless regions. Flying down to a 

 snowbank in front of us they hopped over its surface, busily picking 

 up what we supposed to be seeds from the hemlock cones, quite 

 regardless of us, though so near that we could easily have photo- 

 graphed them had the evergreens let in enough light for a snap-shot. 



Afterwards, in camp, three hundred feet lower, a number of the 

 grosbeaks stopped at different times in the beautiful little hemlocks 

 over our tent. Most of them were in the yellowish plumage, but 

 one or two were rare rose-colored beauties that would excite the 

 admiration of the most insensible. While resting they gave their 

 soft call-notes and warbled their sweet rolling song, and though they 

 were soon off and away they had lent a new distinction to the hem- 

 locks that, in memory, will always be graced by their gentle presence. 



515c. P. e. alascensis Bidgw. ALASKAN PINE GROSBEAK. 



Adult male. Body mainly red, pinkish in winter, fading to gray on 

 belly; back with centers of feathers strikingly dark brownish; wings with 

 two white bars, whitish tips, and edgings ; bill short and turgid, upper 

 mandible only slightly longer than lower. Adult female: top and sides of 

 head and upper tail coverts tawny yellow, dark centers of feathers of back 

 distinctly brownish. Male : length (skins), 8.60-9.69, wing 4.41-5.00, tail 

 3.34-4.03, bill .55-.60. Female : length (skins), 7.69-8.70, wing 4.48-4.73, 

 tail 3.46-3.84, bill .57-.61. 



Distribution. Northwestern North America except Pacific coast, in- 

 cluding wooded interior of Alaska ; south in winter to Montana. 



GENUS CARPODACUS. 



General Characters. Bill shorter than head, conical, thick, its depth at 

 base greater than width ; tarsus short, about equal to middle toe with 

 claw. 



