FRIXGILLID.K-TIIE FINCIIK8. l^^.^] 



high mountaiu-ranj^^es it was a cluinicteristic ami the liest-known siugcr, as 

 well as one of the most abiiiulant of the FrimjUluht', l)eiiig found in all 

 bushy places, from the bases to the summits of tlie mountains. It is exclu- 

 sively a summer species, arrivin«^^ at ( 'arson ( 'ity al)out the middle of April. 

 He descrilxis tlie usual note ot this bird as very peculiar, and, as nearly as 

 can be described, a sweet lau'diintr utterance of tlie svHables hd-hrcl', a 

 little resembling the turit of a Canary, but very musical. This curious note 

 was generally uttered when anything unusual attracted its attention, such as 

 the approach of an intruder. Thon, with elevated tail and its very conspic- 

 uous red cap raised, it would hop familiarly and unsuspiciously about. He 

 adds that it is a songster of liigh merit, in power and variety ranking very 

 little below the song of the Cltondesfts (jrftmmara. The song varies in the 

 modulations greatly with the individual, but the same general style is ])re- 

 served. At times it seemed to have a slight resend>lance to the song of 

 Bewick's Wren, and at otliers to that of a Ctjano^inzd, and more rarely, to 

 to be the reproduction of a passage from the song of the Chonihstcs. 



In the early part of July, near xVustin, in the canons of the nutuntains, he 

 found tliese birds breeding in the greatest abundance, and later in the same 

 month a few of its nests were found on the East Humboldt ^lountains. All 

 of its nests, with hardly an exception, were jdaced from eighteen inches to 

 two feet above the ground, among the tliick bushes of a s[)ecies of St/mjthori- 

 carpus, or " snow-lx3rry," which grows in great abundance upon the sides of 

 the canons of those mountains. The maximum lunnber of eggs was four. 

 It was also quite a common bird in the Wahsatch ^lountains, though less 

 abundant than the P. wcgoloniix. 



Mr. Allen found this Pinch quite numerous in Colorado Territory, and 

 si^eaks of its song as very peculiar and very pleasing. It is said to resemble 

 in no respect the eastern Towhee Finch, with which it is classed, but much 

 more closely the group of Sparrows, so familiarly represented at the east 

 by the White-throated, being like them in haliits, song, and general aspect. 

 It was more common among tlie foot-hills than on the plains. In Utah, 

 according to ^Ir. Allen, this Finch begins to ai)pear in numbers about Sep- 

 tember 20, from its breeding-haunts in the mountains. 



Dr. Coues met with this species in Arizona, but only as a s]>ring and au- 

 tumn migrant. None remained there in summer to breed, and none were 

 found there in the winter. In its migrations it passed rapidly by Fort 

 Whipple, being found there only during the latter part of April and the 

 beginning of May, and during the month of September. At those seasons 

 it appeared to him the most silent and retiring of all the Pipilos. He found 

 it very ditticult to either observe its habits or to capture it. It winters 

 sparingly at Fort Mohave. 



Specimens of this bird were taken near Lookout ^lountain by C. S. Mc- 

 Carthy, and at Gilmer, in Wyoming Territory, ])v Mr. Durkee. 



Dr. Heermann, in his Eeport on the birds observed on the o2d parallel. 



