PUBPLE FINCHES 



421 



Finch of the higher mountains, and the California Purple Finch of middle 

 altitudes, the subject of the present chapter. The California Purple Finch 

 is the species most likely to be seen by the average visitor to the Yosemite 

 region, for it is the one to be found on the floor of Yosemite Valley during 

 the summer months, and, in the winter season, it is abundant at El Portal, 

 the main entrance to the Park. It is noteworthy as being the only migra- 

 tory member of the group, both of the others being practically resident 

 in their respective ranges throughout the year. The name purple finch, 

 as applied to two of these birds, refers to the color of the plumage of the 

 adult males, which is the ancient reddish, or Tyrian, purple. To most 

 persons, however, this name is misleading, for the tone is not purple in 

 the sense of violet. The females and 

 young males are much duller colored 

 than the old males, altogether lacking 

 the red. 



In both of the purple finches the 

 tail is notched or indented at the end 

 (emarginate), while that of the linnet 

 is practically square ended (fig. 50) ; 

 and these respective characters of the 

 tail are shared by both sexes and all 

 ages so that they become satisfactory 

 field marks when the observer finds 

 himself in a position to use them. 

 Old male purple finches have the 

 whole crown of the head red while in 

 the male linnet the crown is brown, 

 the red being restricted to a band across the forehead and along the sides 

 of the head. Male purple finches in the 'purple' plumage are unstreaked 

 beneath, while the male linnet, of more carmine hue, has the belly and 

 flanks marked ^vith narrow longitudinal streaks of brown. Contrasting 

 the two purple finches, now, one with the other, the California is seen to 

 be somewhat smaller than the Cassin, and whereas the male of the former 

 has the red on the breast and rump of practically the same shade as the 

 color of the head, in the latter species those areas are decidedly paler, more 

 pinkish, than the crown. The female California has a greenish yellow 

 tinge to the plumage, while the female Cassin is in mass effect ashy gray. 

 (See pi. 7.) 



The two purple finches in common differ further from the linnet in 

 that the male birds take more than one year to acquire the red plumage. 

 In the early spring months one finds certain purple finches (both Califor- 

 nia and Cassin) in a plumage which looks like that of the adult female. 



Fig. 50. Tail of (a) California Pur- 

 ple Finch and of (b) California Linnet, 

 showing the "notching" in the tail of 

 the former : a useful field characteristic 

 for distinguishing these rather similar 

 species. Natural size. 



