NORTH AMERICAN B1KLHS. 363 



531. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. Spinus lawrencei (Cass.) Geog. Dist. 

 California, in winter southeastward to Arizona. 



Lawrence's Goldfinch is a common bird in Cali- 

 fornia where it breeds in abundance, placing the 

 nest usually near the extremity of the limb of a live 

 oak, where it is well concealed and hard to find. 

 They nest in April, May and June. Professor Ever- 

 marin says he found the first full set of eggs in Ven- 

 tura county, April 6. The nest is composed of wool, 

 fine grasses, down and feathers, closely matted to- 

 gether and lined with the long hair of the larger 

 animals. They are often made entirely of grasses. 

 The latter is chiefly the composition of four nests 

 before me taken by Mr. Herron in May and June. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, and are pure 

 white. Four typical eggs before me measure as 531. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. 

 follows: .62x.47, .64x.45, .62x.44, .62x.48; a set of 



five collected at San Gorgonia Pass, by Mr. Herron, June 22, offers the following sizes: 

 .56x.45, .58x.45, .61x.46, .62x.46, .64x.44. 



[532.] BLACK-HEADED GOLDFINCH. Spinus notatus (Du Bus.) Geog. 

 Diet. Mountains of Guatemala and Southern Mexico, north at least to Central Vera 

 Cruz; accidental in Kentucky (Audubon). 



There appears to be no authentic written history concerning the nidification 

 of this species. There is no doubt that its general habits correspond with those of 

 others of this genus. 



533. PINE SISKIN. Spinus pinus (Wils.) Geog. bist. Northern North 

 America, breeding from Northern United States northward; South in winter to 

 Mexico. 



The Pine Linnet, Pine Finch, or American Siskin, breeds throughout the British 

 Provinces, Northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, thence 

 to Oregon and Washington, in evergreen forests. Its breeding within the United 

 States, however, is by no means of common occurrence. It has been found nesting 

 by Dr. Merriam and others in New York and various New England States. Dr. 

 J. A. Allen obtained a set of four eggs of this species at Cornwall-on-Hudson, Orange 

 county, New York, May 12, 1887. The nest which contained these eggs was placed 

 in the extremity of an upper branch of a Norway pine, about thirty-five feet from 

 the ground.* Another nest was found by Dr. A. K. Fisher, at Sing Sing, New York, 

 on May 25. It was situated in the top of a red cedar, about twenty-four feet from 

 the ground and contained four nearly fresh eggs.f In both cases the birds were ob- 

 served carrying building material to the nests. The late Captain B. F. Goss had a 

 set of four eggs which was taken June 25, 1887, in Northern New York. The nest 

 was placed near the top of a birch tree, and was made of dry grasses and pine needles, 

 with a lining of feathers. The ground-color of the eggs is greenish white, spotted 

 with various shades of brown; one of the eggs of this set is quite thickly spotted over 

 the whole surface; on another specimen the spots are mostly confined to the larger 

 end. The other two are faintly marked, and one of them is almost immaculate. 

 Their sizes are: .67x.45, .68x.48, .67x.48, .69x.47. 



* For full account of this nest and the eggs see The Auk, IV, pp. 284-286. 

 t Bull. Nutt Ornith. Club. VIII, pp. 180-181. 



