THE OOLOGIST 



117 



fifty feet distant from the original site 

 and on tlie 23d a set of five eggs were 

 completed. This nest was deserted 

 on the 26th because a Cowbird having 

 deposited one of her eggs in it. The 

 one set of 190S contained six eggs 

 which is rather uncommon for these 

 birds. This set was destroyed by a 

 pair of Blue Jays several days after 

 the last egg was deposited. 



The young usually remain in the 

 nest about fifteen days and after leav- 

 ing it may be found in the neighbor- 

 hood for two or three weeks. While 

 the young are in the nest both adult 

 birds feed and brood them and are 

 with them until they are able to care 

 for themselves in most cases. The ■ 

 mother bird of one brood of the 

 Spring 1909 was killed by a house cat 

 on the sixth day after the hatching 

 of the eggs and the male bird very 

 assidiously cared for and successfully 

 reared his offspring and he and his 

 four youngsters were present until 

 the middle of July. This bird dis- 

 played conspicuous evidences of al- 

 binism in that all the primaries and 

 secondaries of his right wing were 

 pure white. The young birds as far 

 as I could see inherited in no way his 

 lack of color and when they were last 

 seen apparently were as typical of 

 their race as any of their kind. 



Louis S. Kohler. 



THE WILLOW GOLDFINCH. 



(Astragalinus tristis salicamans). 



By Alfred Cookman, Orange, Cal. 



Many of the readers of THE OOLO- 

 GIST at once recognize this beautiful 

 little bird. So, I briefly want to call 

 your attention to the fact, that this 

 little songster, is one of the most 

 beautiful, most charming little birds 

 that flutters among the cypress and 

 mustard stalks in the state of Cali- 

 fornia. 



His general body plumage is yellow, 

 in sharp contrast to black forehead, 

 crown, lores, wings, and tail. There 

 are faint white edgins on his wings; 

 while his tail feathers are patched 

 with white. 



Along the Pacific coast from Wash- 

 ington to lower California; this little 

 bird may be frequently found, but 

 chiefly in the upper Sonoran zone 

 from Shasta valley to San Diego. 



The Willow Goldfinch of California 

 is in form, color, and habits so exact- 

 ly like the gold finch or "Thistle-bird" 

 of the East that one wonders why 

 Western ornithologists have made a 

 sub-species of him. 



His shorter wings and tail and 

 smaller black cap are the only points 

 of difference. 



In the Spring, likewise, when the 

 olive has given place to the gold you 

 hear it said and exclaimed by the 

 school-boys, "Hurrah! Spring has ar- 

 rived for the Wild Canaries have come 

 back again," when they have really 

 been here all the time. For it is the 

 privilege of the Goldfinch to change 

 his bright yellow and black plumage 

 in the fall for a more sober one of 

 dark olive and black, and in his new 

 suit is always recognized as an old 

 friend. 



Early in May, when the mustard 

 blossoms are in full bloom, he com- 

 mences his house keeping, building an 

 exquisite cup-shaped nest in the fork 

 of a willow, cypress or cotton-wood, 

 so low that one may with ease peep in- 

 to it. The nest is beautifully lined 

 with thistle-down and small feathers. 



The eggs are a pale blue in color 

 and three to five in number. The eggs 

 are brooded by the mother for ten 

 days, and then the naked pinky nest- 

 lings require the care of both parents. 



They remain in the nest for nearly 

 three weeks ; at the end of that time, 

 they resemble their parents in plum- 



