FKlNtillJ.lD.K TflK I'lXCIIKS. 4,jj 



low Imslie.s at Vaiunuvi-r, ami lu'^aii to eat tliu simmIs. Sim-e tlicii \\v had 

 uiily seon tlicni living ]\\>^\\ anions the t(»|>s of the |>o]tlais, ujmhi the seeds of 

 wliieli tliey feed. Thev were utteiiii;,' their huid, shrill call-notes a.s thev llrw. 



Tlu! same writer, in Iiis iJeport (jii tlu; birds of C'alit'ornia, makes mention 

 of the oeenrn-nee of this (Intsheak at Mieliii^an lUull's, in IMaeer County, in 

 ahout latitude '-y\^°. Specimens were obtained l>y Mr. F. (Iruber, and were 

 [trobably the variety desionate<l as mnntmin. The same form doubtless 

 oceurs alon<4 the summits of the Sierra Nevada, iind thev have been traced 

 among the Jioeky Mountains to Fort Thorn in New Me.xieu. 



Tiiese buvls do not e<)me down near the sea-coa.st even at the mouth of 

 Uie Columbia, and in California have not lujcn met with in the Coast l{an«j;e. 

 They are said to feed ehietly on the seeds of the pine, spruce, and cotton- 

 wood crees, occasionally seeking' other see(ls near the i.rround. Thev are 

 silent ■hen feedinj4, but utter a loud call-note as tliey lly from ]>lace to 

 place, in sin-ing, Dr. Cooper states, they have a short l>ut melodious song, 

 resembliig that of the IJobin or Pdack-headed (Iroslieak. He afterwards 

 met with a Hock in the winter near Santa Cruz, where thev remained until 

 the end of April. Their favorite resort was a small grove of alders and wil- 

 lows, close to the town, where their loud call-notes could be heard at all 

 times of the day, though he never heard them sing. In the early spring 

 their favorite food was the yoiuig leaves of v.arious wild plants that grew 

 under the trees. They also fed on the buds of the Xaji'iido, and frec^uented 

 the large pear-trees in the old mission garden. They were very tame, and 

 allowed an approach to within a few yards, when feeding. Mr. Titwnsend, in 

 18:^)1), tound this Grosbeak abundant about the Colmnbia lliver. Late in 

 May the\^ were (piite numerous in the jtine woods. They were very unsus- 

 picious and tame. Under the impression that these birds were only nuisical 

 towards night, they have been styled the Evening Grosbeak. But this, ac- 

 cording h) Mr. Townsend, is a misnomer. He also eontmverts .several other 

 statements made in reference to their haluts. He foiuid them remarkably 

 noi.sy from morning until niuht, when they ouietlv retire like other birds, 

 and are not heard from until the next day-dawn. They go in large Hocks, 

 and are rarely met with singly. As they feed ujMjn the seeds of the pine and 

 other trees, they proceed by a succession of hops to the extremities of the 

 branches. They also feed larnely on the larvie of the laruje black ant, for 

 which object they fretpient the to})s of the low oaks on the edges of the 

 forests. Their ordinary voice is said to be a single screaming note, uttered 

 while feeding. At times, about mitlday, the male Jittempts a song, which Mr. 

 Townsend describes as a miserable failure. It is a single note, a warbling 

 call like the first note of the liobin, but not so sweet, and suddenly checked, 

 as if the ])erformer were out of breath. 



IMr. Sumichrast met with the variety of this .species designated as montana, 

 ^lay, liSoT, in the pine woods of Monte Alto, about twelve le.'gues from 

 Mexico ; and although he has never found it in the alpine region of Vera 



