FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 1,^1 



is, like all its congeners, a retiring species, and keeps perseveringly in the 

 almost impenetrable undfrgrowtli. It is said to be more decidedly gregari- 

 ous than most of tlie genus, often collecting in Hocks of a dozen or more, 

 wandering restlessly, yet in a cautious manner, througli the thickets. 



A nest with eggs, procured at Fort Mohave by Dr. Cooj^er, is in the Smith- 

 sonian Collection (Xo. 7,276). The egg measures .Oo by .7(» of an inch, is 

 obovate in shape, being much rounded at the smaller end. Its ground-color 

 is a dull white, without any percei)til)le tinge of blue, — tliough possibly 

 bluish when fresh, — with heavy dots and occasional delicate, hair-like, 

 zigzag markings of black. These markings are wholly confined to tlie 

 larger end. One of the eggs has these markings much finer, consisting of 

 minute dots, more dense, and upon the apex of the larger end. The nest is 

 loosely built and very bulky. Its external diameter is about six inches, and 

 its depth three. The cavity is three inches wide and two deep. It is con- 

 structed almost entirely of strips of inner bark, the coarser, ribbon-like 

 pieces being used on the outer portion, and the finer shreds composing the 

 lining. Externally are also a few sticks about one q^uarter of an inch in 

 diameter. 



SECTION IV. 



Croivn rufous; botJy ahove^ olive-green. 



Pipilo chlorurus, Baird. 



OBEEH-TAILED BTTNTING ; BLAKDING'S FIKCH. 



Fringilla chlontra, (Townsend,) Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 336 ^Young). ZonotricMa 

 chlorura, Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. 2il Scries, I, 1847, 51. Embcrnagra chlorura, 

 BoXAP. Conspectus, IS.'jO, 483. Fr)u<jUln bhnidoigi<riw,(ixMii¥A., Pr. A. N. Sc. Ph. I, 

 April, 1843, 260. Emhcrnagra blnvfuigitriia, Cassin, Illus. I, iir, 18.03, 70, j»l. xii. 

 Pipilo rufipihus, Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool. XI, June, 1848, 176. — Bp. Cons{>ectus, 

 1850,487. A7e«*ria rw^;>?"A'i/.9, Bon. ConiptesRendus, XL, 1855, 356. PijtUo chlorura, 

 Baird, Birds N. k\\\., 1858, 519. — Hf.erm. X, f, 15. —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 248. 



Sp. Char. Above dull grayisl) olive-greoii. Crown uniform chc>;tnut. Forehead with 

 superciliary stripe, and sides of the head and neck, the upper part of the breast and sides 

 of the body, hluish-ash. Chin and upper part of throat abruptly defined white, the former 

 margined by dusky, above Avhich is a short white maxillary stripe. Under tail-coverts 

 and sides of body behind brownish-yellow. Tail-feathers generally, and exterior of wings, 

 bright olive-green, the edge and under surface of the wings bright greenish-yellow ; edge 

 of first primary white. First quill longer than eighth, fourth longest. Length, about 7 

 inches; wing, 3.20; tail, 3. Go. 



Hab. Whole of the !N[id<ll(> Province, including the Rocky Mountains and eastern 

 slope of the Sierra Nevada ; orth to beyond the 40th parallel ; south to Mexico. 



In this species the win*; is considerably rounded, the tertials considerably 

 shorter than the primaries, and not exceedinij the secondaries ; the fourth 

 quiU longest, the fii'st shorter than the sixth, the second and fifth quills 



