FK1XG1LLI:j.E — THE FINCHES. 547 



grassy portions of the West. It is especially iliuraoteristic of the higher 

 grassy slopes of the elevated moiintaiiis, jiarticularly in the liocky Mountain 

 regions, and its sweet and simple song is one of the ]>leasant associations of 

 those regions. It descends, in the autunui, to the lower districts, having heen 

 observed during Sei)tenil)er in tiie greatest abundance among the " rye-grass" 

 meadows of Senot Vallev, at the northern end of the Kast Humboldt liaui^e. 

 It nests on the ground in grassy banks, in various situations. 



Dr. Suckley found this bird abundant on the Xiscpially Plains, about 

 Puget '^'ound ; and Dr. Cooper says it is common, in sununer, on the jnuiries 

 of the interior of Washington Territory. Dr. Cooper also found it wintering 

 in the Colorado Valley, in consideralde numbers, but all disa])j)eared in 

 April. He thinks they breed in Northern Ca1if(jrnia, tliough he has never 

 found them doing so. Dr. Xewberry states that they are common in the 

 Sacramento Valley, both in the summer and in the fall. It was found bv 

 Mr. Boucard, in winter, near Oaxaca, Mexico. 



Their song is a very simi)le and ]dcasant succession of soft notes, resem- 

 bling that of the Canary, but thinner and feebler. It is begun early in the 

 morning and continued a few hours, and then renewed at sunset and kept up 

 often until after dark. It is also not unlike the song of the Song Sparrow, 

 but is neither so varied nor so loud and strong. It continues to sing until 

 late in the season. 



They feed in the road, eating insects, seeds, and grain. They are fond of 

 searching also in ploughed fields, and keep })rincipally upon the ground, ex- 

 clusively so when they are searching for their food. 



Although as unsusj^icious as the Song Sparrow or the Chi])i)ing Sparrt)W, 

 this Finch rarely, like them, comes about the house for cnunbs of bread, but 

 seems to prefer to forage for itself in the fields and by the roadside. Taken 

 from the nest, these birds may be readily tamed, and soon become very in- 

 teresting and familiar little pets, though Nuttall states that where several 

 are thus kept they become very jealous of each other, and quarrelsome. 



Their nest is always jdaced ujwn the ground, and is very simply con- 

 structed of dry stems of grasses, with no other lining than soft fine materials 

 of the same. They have two, and sometimes three, broods in a season. 

 When their nest is approached, they make use of various artifices to draw 

 away the intruder, and often vary their devices in a very striking manner. 

 In ^lay, 183G, crossing a field within a few rods of my home in Koxbury, I 

 nearly stepped upon a female sitting uj)on her nest. She immediately tum- 

 bled forward towards me, counterfeiting the most extraordinary lameness, 

 so much so that I supposed that I had really stepped upon and severely 

 injured her. I stooped to pick up what I supposed to be a wounded bird, 

 and found her nest and four eggs. Visiting her nest again, as I apj)roached 

 she flew from it quietly and silently, and immediatidy began the same ma- 

 meuvres, at some little distance from her nest, which she discontinued as 

 soon as she noticed that I was examining her treasures. These devices she 



