32 NORTH A.MKUK'AN lUliDS, 



Ho also doscriltos tins species as einineiitlv petulant and ])U<:;n.acious. 

 Two males would (il'teu ])ui'sue each citlicr until the weaker was ioreed to 

 abandon the valley, and seek ref'u^'e elsewheit^ lie seldom saw more than 

 two or tliree jmirs in a tract of severid miles in extent. I>y the 4th of -Inly 

 tlie youn^n' had left their nests and were following their ]iarents. As from 

 that time the old birds ceased to sing, he iiderred that they raised Imt one 

 Itrood in a season. Before he lelt Labrador these birds had all disappeannl. 



Altliough first discovered on the coast of Ldjrador, snbseiiuent e\[ihirations 

 have shown this l)ird to be fir more common at the West tiian it is at the 

 East, M'iiere indeed it is exceeilingiy I'are. Not a specimen, that I am aware 

 of, has ever been found in Maine, allhougli it probably does uecasionally occur 

 there; and only a very few isolated indi\iduids had been taken in Massa- 

 chusetts b(>fore the spi'ing of 1872, when they were noticed by Mr. Brewster 

 and Mr. lleiishaw in considerable nund)ers. These birds, seven or eight in 

 number, were .shot, with two excejitions, in May, between the 1-tth and the 

 2r)th. Three were taken in Springiield by ^Ir. Allen, one in Xewburyport 

 by Mr. lloxie, two in Hudson by l\Ir. Jill.son, and two in Candiridge by 

 Mr. lirew.ster. The latter were olitair.ed, one in Sejitendjer and the other in 

 October. In ^lay, 1872, Mr. Brewster obtained six t)thers. Mr. Allen iiad 

 met with this Finch in Wayne County, X. \'., in May, where it was not 

 uncommon, and in Xorthern Illinois, where it was quite numerous. A few 

 have been taken near Xew York City, and in the neighborhood of ridla- 

 delphia, where they are regardetl as \ery I'are. Professor Baird, however, 

 frequently met with them at Carlisle, I'enn. 



Farther west, from the Mississii)])i Valley to the Pacific, tliey are much 

 more common. Mr. liiiigwav states that they oceasionallv winter in South- 

 ern Illinois, where they frequent retired thickets ne-'v open ilelds. Tiiey 

 have been found breeding near Ilacine, Wis., by Dr. Hoy, and have been met 

 with also in Nebraska in considerable numbers ; and, during the breeding- 

 season, ^Ir. Audubon met with them on the Up]ier Missouri. 



From ^larch to May Mr. Dresser found these birds very abundant in the 

 fields near the San Antonio Iliver. and in some swamjiy grounds. They 

 seemed to prefer tlnil sort of locality, and the banks of the river, keei)ing 

 among the ilags and rushes. Their stomachs were found to contain small 

 seeds. Mr. Lincecum also met with a few in Washington County of the 

 same State. 



It was not met with in Arizona by Dr. ('ones, but Dr. Kennerly found it 

 in the month of February from tiie Uig Sandy to the (Jreat Colorado I'iver. 

 It confined itself to the thick busiies along the streams, and when seen was 

 generally busily iKjpjung from twig to twig in search of food. When started 

 up, its ilight was very rapid and near the earth. 



Dr. Ileermann obtained this sjiecicss, not unfrequently, botli in Northern 

 California and in the Tejoii Valley. On all occasions he found it in company 

 with flocks of S]»arrows, composed of several species. 



