58 BIRDS OF THE WEST 



English sparrow. Streaked brown above, white below. Wings white. 

 Tail, black and white. Bill yellowish. Distinctly a snow bird and lover 

 of the storm. Winter visitant. Usually seen in flocks. 



529. GOLDFINCH. Astragalinus tristis. (Called wild canary 

 and thistle bird.) Length five inches. Mostly bright yellow. Head 

 and wings of male black. Flies with a dipping motion. Fond of 

 thistles and sunflowers. Nests in August. 



BUNTINGS. 



598. INDIGO BUNTING. Cyanospiza cyanea. Six inches long. 

 Size of English sparrow but more graceful and slender body. The 

 color of indigo. Female brown with yellowish-brown breast. 



605. LARK BUNTING. Calamospiza melanocorys. About the 

 size of the English sparrow. Entirely black except on wings which 

 have white patches. Often mistaken for bobolink but has no yellowish- 

 white hood and is smaller. Flies a short distance into the air singing, 

 then almost floats to a perch. 



604. DICKCISSEL. Spiza Americana. The size of the English 

 sparrow. Often seen on fences and telegraph wires with tail hanging. 

 Pale yellow below with black mark on upper breast. Brownish above. 

 Sings a great deal. 



528. REDPOLL. Acanthis linaria. A little smaller than the 

 English sparrow. Redpoll means redhead but the redpoll has only 

 a reddish head. Grayish breast and lower back. Black chin. White 

 below. Winter birds in this latitude usually seen in large flocks. 



521. AMERICAN CROSSBILL. Loxia curvirostra minor. Eng- 

 lish sparrow size. The crossing of the bill is a sure mark of identifica- 

 tion. Throat and breast reddish and wings brown. Fond of the seeds 

 of the pine cones. 



587. CHEWINK. (Towhee.) Pipilo erythropthalmus. Eight 

 inches long. Black above. Breast white. Sides chestnut. Tail feath- 

 ers noticeably white in flight. Eyes red. Female brown where male 

 is black. 



GROSBEAKS. 



595. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Zamelodia ludoviciana. 

 Eight inches long. Male, black above. Breast rose-color and rose- 

 color under wings. White markings on wings and tail, very notice- 

 able in flight. Bill strong and very thick. Excellent singer. 



514a. EVENING GROSBEAK. Coccothraustes vespertinus mon- 

 tanus. About eight inchies long. Greenish-yellow is the principal 

 color especially below. Bright yellow forehead and above the eyes. 



