466 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



covert.-* and aVxlonien witli broad streaks of diiskv. Goiieral color abovo, iiuliidin<r wings, 

 tail, and uppt-r tail-rovi-rts. bro\viiisli-i,'ray, the leatluTs with li<.'l>ter ed<;fs. iJeneath 

 white, each feather with a medial streak ol dusky. Mole. A l)road frontal crescent, ex- 

 tfiidinir back in a superciliary strij>e to the occiput, a j)at(,-h on tlu' rump (not the upp«'r tail- 

 fovert.s), and an area coverinir cheeks, chin, throat, and jujruluni red, — briirht scarlet in 

 sprintr. rosy in fall. Female without the red, which is replaced by a uniform streakinjj. 

 VoHUff restMnljlinj,' the fenndi", but streaks less sharply detined ; those above more dis- 

 tinct. Wing-coverts broadly edged with light earth-brown. % 



Tliis Species inhabits tlie western re«^ions of Xorth Anievica, from tlie 

 Itocky Mniiutains to the PaciHe ; and Mexico, excei>t, perhaps, the eastern 

 portion. In this ranj^e of distrihntion it occurs in three races, wliich, taking 

 extreme exanijdes, are well marked, but when a large series is examined are 

 fonnd to grade insensibly^ into each other. 



The above description is general, being motlitied oidy by atlditional cliarac- 

 tei*s in the several races. The normal plumage is perhaps re])resented in the 

 central race, — tlie true fro nt<f/ is, as restricted, — which inhabits the Middle 

 Province of the United States, and is neatly as described al)ove ; the red of 

 the male of this style is of a biight scarlet tint, and in nearly^ all specimens 

 shows a tendencv to escape the boiindarie-s above indicated. As we go south 

 into ^Fexico, we find the red strictly conti'ied within those limits, very sharply 

 detined; and, under the tropical inHuence, inteusitied into a very bright car- 

 mine tint ; this latter is the C. hamon'hoi'a of authors. Following the var. 

 ^^'onfalifi westward, we find it gradually clianging, the red invading more and 

 more the other jiortions, until, in si)ecimens from the coast of (.'alifornia and 

 from Cape St. Lucas, it is spread over all portions, except the anal region, 

 wing, and tail, — though always brightest within those outlines which con- 

 fine it in the two preceding varieties. In extreme examples of the latter 

 race, — the 0. rhodocolpus of Cabanis, — the red even obliterates the streaks 

 on the abdomen. The sju-eading of the red is seen in other birds of the Pa- 

 citic region, this case being exactly paralleled by the Sphjiropicus ruber, in its 

 relation to *S^. nuchcdis or S. variiis. 



The females and young of the three races are quite difficult to distinguish 

 from each other, tiie locality being the best means of identifying them. 



Carpodacus frontalib, var. frontalis, Gray. 



CBIKSON-FBONTEB FINCH; BVBION. 



Friny ilia frontalis, Say, Lonjj's Exp. II, 1824, 40. — (?^ArD. Oni. Bioi,'. V, 1839,230, 

 pi. ceccxxiv. Piirrhnhi f. li(»N.vi'. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 49, pi. vi. Friffhrof^piza f. Box. 

 List, 1838. —Ib. p. Z. S. 1837, 112. — (?) Aud. Syii. 1839, 12.x — Tb. Birds Am. HI, 

 1841, 175, pi. cxcvii. — Oamb. J. A. N. S. 2d series, I, 1847, 53. FriixjiUa (Pifrrhiila) 

 f. Gamb. p. A. X. S. 1. 1843, 2t)2. Carpodncmf. Gray, Gen. 184^-49. —McC all, 

 P. A. X. S. V, 18.'.1, 219. — Baiko, Birds X. Am. 1858, 415. ? Cnr/yod'tcus ohscitms, 

 McCall, p. a. X. S. V, .Tune, 1851, 220, Santa Fe, X. M. Car/xxiacus familiaris, 

 McCali,, p. a. X. S. VII, April, 1852, (51, Santa Fe, N. M. 



