I'llLXdlLLlD.K THE I'LNCIIKS. 45] 



low biislies [xt VaiK'niiviT, and Ijcj^iui Ui I'iit tliu seeds. Sineo tlioii ho Imd 

 uidy se(\ii lliciu tlyiiiu liijili amoiiLi; tlie tops of tlie iK>]ilars, u]>()ii tlie seeds of 

 wliicli tlit-y I'eed. 'I'liey were iiUeriiij,' tlieir loud, shrill call-notes as tiioy Hew. 



Tho .same writer, in his Keport on the birds of Calihmiia, makes mention 

 of the ocenrrencH! of this (Irosheak at Mieliij,Mn I'hill's, in Placer < 'oiinty, in 

 about latitude :)!l°. S^iecimens were obtained l)y Mr. V. (Iruber, and were 

 la'oliably the variety designated as iiinn/niut. The same form doul)tless 

 occurs along tlai summits ol' tlai .'-^ierra Nevada, and they have been traced 

 among the Jtocky .Mountains to Fort Tliorn in New Mexico. 



These birds do not come down near the sea-coast even at the mouth of 

 the Cohunbia, and in California have not been met with in the Coa.st Ifaiige 

 They art; said to feed chieHy on the seeds of the i)ine, spruce, and cotton- 

 wood trees, occasionally seeking other seeds near tlu^ ground. They are 

 silent when feeding, but utter a loud call-note as they ily iVoni ))lace to 

 place. In spring. Dr. Cooper states, they have a short Ijut melodious song, 

 resembling that of the Kobin or lllaek-headed Crosljeak. He afterwards 

 met with a tlock in the winter near Santa Cruz, where they remained until 

 the end of April. Their favorite resort was a small grove of alders and wil- 

 lows, close to the town, where their loud call-notes could be heard at all 

 times of the day, though he never heard them sing. In the early spring 

 their favorite food was the yoiuig leaves of various wild plants that grew 

 under the trees. They also led on the Imds of tlic Xi(ji'iido, and frecpiented 

 the large pear-trees in the old mission garden. They were very tame, and 

 allowed an approach to within a few yards, when feeding. .Mr. Townsend, in 

 18:i(), found this Grosbeak almndant about the Columbia liiver. Late in 

 May they were ([uite numerous in the pine woods. They were very unsus- 

 picious and tame. Under the impression that these birds were only nuisical 

 towards night, they have been styled the Kvening Grosbeak. But this, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Townsend, is a misnomer. He also contraviirts several oilier 

 statements made in rei'erence to their haliits. He found them remarkably 

 noisy from morning until night, when they (piietly retire like other l)irds, 

 and are not heard from until the next day-dawn. They go in large Hocks, 

 and are rarely met with singly. As they feed upon the s(!eds of the i>ine and 

 other trees, thoy ])roceed by u succession of hops to the extremities of the 

 branches. They also i'eed largely on the larv.e of the large black ant, for 

 which object they frequent the to])s of the low oaks on the edges of the 

 forests. Their ordinary voice is said to be a single screaming note, uttered 

 while feeding. At times, about midday, the male attemjits a song, which Mr. 

 Townsend descriljes as a miserable failure. It is a single note, a warbling 

 cidl like the first note of the Kobin, Init not .so sweet, and suddenly checked, 

 as if the ])erformer were out of breath. 



Mr. Sumichrast met with the viiriety of this species designated as mmitana, 

 May, ISoT, in the pine woods of Monte Alto, about twelve leagues from 

 Mexico ; and although he has never found it in the alpine region of Vera 



