1884-] Cooke on Harris's Finch. 333 



nearly a thousand miles ; the other notes are a few scattered ones 

 from Iowa and Dr. Coucs's obstMvations in the Mouse River re- 

 gion of Nortliern Dakota. So persistently had it been noted from 

 the Missouri River, that Dr. Coues, in 'Birds of the Northwest,* 

 gave its habitat as "Region of the Missouri. East to Eastern 

 Iowa." Since then it has been noted from widely separated dis- 

 tricts, but its whole bibliograph}' is limited. 



Let us first trace out its habitat. Toward the west I am unable 

 to give its extension with any degree of precision. Mr. Goss, in 

 his late catalogue of the birds of Kansas, gives it as a winter resident 

 in Kansas, and as common in Southern Kansas. Dr. Waston, of 

 Ellis in Western Kansas, writes me that they occur there in fall 

 and spring, and are sometimes abundant. It is probable, that, 

 like the other birds of the Plains, they extend either regularly or 

 occasionally to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. 



To the eastward our knowledge is more definite. There is no 

 Louisiana nor Arkansas record that I have seen, but in Western 

 Missouri they are common, and pass eastward to about the middle 

 of the state ; the most eastward record I possess being that of Mrs. 

 Musick, at Mount Carmel, Mo., who found both the first and the 

 bulk April 3, 1884. In Iowa it ranges a little farther east, being 

 common in the western and middle parts, and a straggler to the 

 eastern part, one being sent me for identification from Mitchell, 

 Iowa, near the Wisconsin line. It has even wandered twice to 

 Illinois, having been taken at Bloomington and at Normal. The 

 whole of Minnesota has been preempted by our subject, as I have 

 records from the four corners of the state ; and last fall it made 

 bold to cross into Wisconsin, only to yield its life in the interest 

 of science at Trempeleau. We also have a former Wisconsin 

 record bv Dr. Hoy from Racine. 



If we seek its southern boundary we must journey afar. With- 

 out record from intervening territory, Mr. Dresser secured two 

 specimens at San Antonio, Texas, and later Mr. N. C. Brown 

 tells us in the 'Bulletin' that it was an abundant winter resident at 

 Boerne, Texas, thirty miles from San Antonio. In his careful 

 and extended review of the birds of Galveston and vicinity (Bulle- 

 tin, 1883) Mr. Nehrling does not give it ; hence we may conclude 

 that if it does reach Southeastei-n Texas, it must be as a straggler. 



Mr. G. H. Ragsdale writes me that it is an abundant winter 

 bird at Gainesville, in Northeastern Texas, and he has left a record 



