132 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



center of crown ; colors less intense. An 

 elaborate song, similar" in many respects 

 to that of the robin. 



Frequents chiefly oak woodland, wil- 

 low-cottonwood association, and open 

 coniferous forests, often near a stream. 

 Inhabits the Lower Sonoran to the 

 Transition life-zone in summer. Com- 

 mon S. V. in the Yosemite region. Of- 

 ten seen about habitations in Yosemite 

 Valley. 



LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina 

 amoena): d-dy-i in. Head, neck, lower 

 back, and rump bright blue; blue of 

 upper back tinged with brown; black 

 line extends from eye to bill; wings 

 and tail dusky; tail with bluish cast; 

 white wing-bar; breast rusty; remain- 

 der of under parts whitish. Female: 

 Upper parts brown; under parts lighter; 

 two bufTy wing-bars. 



Frequents areas with scattered 

 clumps of brush, weed thickets, or other 

 low vegetation on hillsides, often near 

 streams. S. V. in the Lower Sonoran 

 to the Transition life-zone. On both 

 slopes of the Sierra in the Yosemite re- 

 gion. On the west slope ranges as high 

 as Yosemite Valley. 



EVENING GROSBEAK (Hesperi- 

 phona vespertina): 7y2-8y2 in. Gen- 

 erally brownish - yellow except black 

 wings, crown, and tail; large white 



EVENING GROSBEAK 



7-^-8^ 



wing - patch; forehead and line over 

 eye yellow; head and breast sooty 

 brown; short, thick bill. Female: Plum- 

 age generally brownish - gray; head 

 darker; neck and lower back tinged 

 with yellow; wings and tail generally 

 black but with white markings. 



Breeds in coniferous forests of the 

 Transition and Canadian life-zones, es- 

 pecially where there are firs. S. V. 

 throughout the Sierra. Occasional in 

 Yosemite Valley. 



PURPLE FINCH (Carpodacus pur- 

 pureus): 5 J/4-6 in. Rosy red on head, 

 nape, throat, upper belly, and rump; 

 lower belly whitish with vague dark 

 streaking; brown wings and tail; tail 

 quite deeply forked. Female: Grayish- 

 brown, streaked; brown patch back of 

 eye bordered above and below by broad 

 pale stripes. Song resembles that of the 

 house finch, lively and rollicking, not 

 abruptly ended after a few notes as in 

 Cassin's finch. 



In summer in the high Upper So- 

 noran and Transition life-zones, fre- 

 quenting oak woodland and coniferous 

 forest. Favors, rather moist, shaded lo- 

 calities. In the Yosemite region in the 

 zones mentioned. Occasional in Yo- 

 semite Valley. 



CASSIN'S FINCH (Carpodacus cas- 

 sini): 6-6/2 in. Resembles purple 

 finch but distinct crimson crown clearly 

 set off from brown of neck and back 

 and less intense red on breast. Female: 

 Above olive-gray, streaked with sooty 

 or brown; below whitish narrowly 

 streaked with dusky; faint light streak 

 over eye. Song, similar to that of the 

 house finch but abruptly terminated 

 after a few rollicking notes. 



Frequents open semiarid coniferous 

 forests, chiefly of the Canadian and 

 Hudsonian life-zones but also in the 

 Transition zone and occasionally lower. 

 Sparingly to lowlands in winter. In the 

 Yosemite region R. in forested areas 

 mostly between 6,000 and 10,000 feet. 

 Occasionally observed in Yosemite Val- 

 ley. 



