FRINGILLID.K-TIIE FINCIIK3. (J7 



the United States were observed by t'iii)tuin McCowii ul' tliu U. S. Army, 

 at J{iiij,'j,'<)ld Jkrraeks, in Texas. Siiicu tiieii it lias lieeii proeureil by several 

 of the naturalists a(iuonij)anyiii;^ tiie yovernnient expeditions. It was ob- 

 tained in New Leon, Mexico, by Lieutenant Couch; in Texas, by Major 

 Emory ; in Texas and at El Paso, by Lieutenant Parke. 



When first seen, in March, in the State of Tamaulipas, by Lieutenant 

 Couch, it was in flo(;ks, very shy and dilheult of ai)])roacli. It did not occur 

 nnich in open fields, but seemed to prefer the vicinity of fences and bushes. 

 It was often seen in company with the common Cardinal. 



Dr. Kennerly found this bird (piite aliundant in the vicinity of El Pasn, 

 but did not observe it elsewliere. It ke])t generally in flocks of from three 

 to six, frequenting the hedges and fruit-trees in the vicinity of houses. It 

 became very restless when a])proached, flying from branch to branch and 

 from tree to tree, uttering its peculiar note with great \ ehemence. 



Dr. Heermann met with the first specimen of this bird in a dry canon, a 

 little to the east of the crossing of San Pedro Itiver. It was perched on a 

 bush, seemed wearied and lost, and was probably a wanderer. No more were 

 seen until he readied El Paso. Tiiere he found it everywhere among tiie 

 hedges and trees, and continued to meet with it occasionally on his road, 

 until his party left civilization behind. It erects its crest as it moves active- 

 ly about in search of food, and utters at intervals a clear, plaintive whistle, 

 varied by a few detached notes. 



Mr. iJresser considers this species rather a straggler from ^lexico than as a 

 Texan bird. Near Eagle Pass and Piedras Negvas he fouvid it abundant, but 

 it became scarce as soon as he travelled a few miles into Texas. He saw none 

 north or east of the Leona. He was told that (juantities breed near Eagle 

 Pass, and he saw not a few in cages that had liecn reared from the nest. 

 He found it a shy biid, and ditticult to shoot. Wiien followed, it flies about 

 uneasily, perching on tlie toj) of some high bush, and erecting its long tn-est, 

 uttering a clear, plaintive whistle. Sometimes it would take to tlie thick 

 brushwood and creep through the bushes so that it was imixi.ssilde to get a 

 shot at it. On the Lower Kio Grande it was of unconmion occurrence. He 

 noticed a single pair near Matanioras in August, 1H04. 



Cai)tain McCown, in his account of this species, publi.shed by Cassin, 

 writes that, so far as seen on tlie liio (Jrande, this liandsome species appeared 

 to have a strong partiality for damp and bushy woods. So far as he observed, 

 it never ventured far from the river. He w-as under the im])ression that this 

 bird remains in Texas all the year, having met with it so late in the fall and 

 again so early in the spring, that, if not constantly resident, its migrations 

 must be very limited. He describes it as a gay, sprightly bird, generally 

 seen in company with others of the same species, frequently erecting its 

 crest and calling to its mate or conn-ades. It is rather shy, and not easily 

 approached. In its voice and general habits it appeared to him very similar 

 to the common species. 



VOL. II. 13 



