An Alpine Rosy Finch 103 



rosy coloring is heightened to an intense crimson, especially 

 on the wings, tail coverts, and the under parts. The 

 female's attire is paler and duller of tint, the pink being 

 sometimes almost obsolete. Oddly enough, in summer 

 the bills of these birds are deep black, while in winter they 

 become yellow, only the tip remaining black or blackish. 



My introduction to the leucostictes occurred on the 

 summit of Pikes Peak, at an elevation of 14,147 feet 

 above the level of the sea. With exhausting toil I 

 climbed the peak one night, and the next morning, when 

 I stepped out of the signal station, where I had secured 

 lodging, a flock of the brown-caps were flitting merrily 

 about the garbage heap, helping themselves to an early 

 breakfast. Their blithe chirping sounded very much 

 like conversation all among themselves, and proclaimed 

 two pleasant traits of character cheerfulness and good 

 temper. It was evident that they were happy and 

 contented in their alpine home, in the upper story of 

 the world, the rare, cool, exhilarating air, the majestic 

 panoramas, and the unlimited freedom all contributing 

 to the blithesomeness of their spirits. The keepers of the 

 signal station told me that the birds came to the refuse 

 pile every day for their meals. 



Two years later, on the twenty-eighth of June, a 

 friend and I clambered up Grays Peak, which is several 

 hundred feet higher than Pikes Peak. It was a long 

 and toilsome climb, winding about the snowbeds of the 

 mountain side. Sometimes we scaled straight up the 

 acclivity on "all fours," throwing ourselves down on the 



