420 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



is of somewhat stouter build than the solitaire, has no light markings 

 under the wings or on the tail, and possesses a stout conical bill. The male 

 of course may be known by the great amount of red on its head, breast, 

 and rump. 



The call notes of the pine grosbeak, as written in the field by two of 

 our party, sound like woit-leek, woit-Ieek, and klink, kerink. They recall 

 the simpler notes of the linnet or purple finch, but are louder and clearer. 

 They also remind one of the sound produced by clinking a metal spoon in 

 a tin cup. In addition to these notes, there is said to be a pleasing song ; 

 but this we did not hear. During the whole season of field work in 

 1915, we encountered the pine grosbeak at but two places. A single adult 

 male was found on July 2 in an alpine hemlock on a hill four miles south- 

 west of Dark Hole. This locality proved to be the westernmost 'island' 

 of the Hudsonian Zone in the Yosemite region. The species was not met 

 with again until early on the morning of October 8, when an adult male 

 in red plumage and at least four yellow-crowned young were observed in 

 some alpine hemlocks at Ten Lakes. They were all evidently feeding on 

 the foliage and seeds, for they were clinging to the outermost swinging 

 branchlets where the needle buds are tenderest, and sometimes would reach 

 down almost directly beneath their perches to get some desired bit of food. 

 On October 11 two other birds in the gray and yellow plumage were seen 

 in the same vicinity. When perched on the outer twigs of a pine tree 

 they held their tails up at a distinct angle with the body after the manner 

 of a White-crowned Sparrow, and decidedly unlike the posture ordinarily 

 assumed by grosbeaks. One bird which was collected at Ten Lakes held 

 in its gizzard needle buds of some coniferous tree and the remains of a 

 single insect. 



California Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus californicus Baird 



Field characters. — Size of a Junco (length 5l^ inches) ; tail shorter than body, end 

 decidedly notched (fig. 50a). Male: Top of head, rump, and lower surface of body from 

 chin to breast, dull purplish red; belly whitish, unstreaked; rest of plumage dark brown, 

 more or less tinged with red. Female: Entirely lacking red, the plumage above grayish 

 brown (tinged with greenish) and the under surface broadly streaked with dark brown. 

 (See pi. 7c, d.) Voice: Song of male a rapid rolling warble lasting about two seconds 

 and repeated at irregular intervals; both sexes give a low one-syllabled call note, pert. 



Occurrence. — Moderately common summer visitant to Transition Zone on west slope 

 of Sierra Nevada; descends to foothill region (Upper Sonoran Zone) for the winter. 

 Observed at Smith Creek (in June and July), at Hazel Green (May), in Yosemito 

 Valley (May to August), at El Portal (October to December), and at Pleasant Valley 

 and Lagrange (both in December). In pairs or in small flocks. 



Three finches occur in the Yosemite region which comprise a distinct 

 group with conspicuous red in the male coloration. These are the Cali- 

 fornia Linnet of the lower valleys and western foothills, the Cassin Purple 



