EVENING GROSBEAK. 313 



and the dorsal surfaces showing no traces of the bnffy sufl'asion and transverse vermi- 

 culation usaally observable in the young of this genus; the clear, pale bluish -ashy of 

 its upper parts, with the conspicuously white rump and superciliary line, proclaimed its 

 relationship at a glance. Its capture here will be regarded with interest by ornitholo- 

 gists, this being the southeasternmnst point at which it has been recorded; and is of 

 additional significance on account of the occurrence here of the typical C. ludovieianus, 

 which is a regular though somewhat rare summer resident in this vicinity, where it has 

 been found breeding on three occasions afc least." 



The habits, nest, and eggs, resemble those of the preceding variety. 



FAMILY FRINGILLIDJfi. FINCHES, ETC. 



Primaries nine. Bill truly conic, much shorter than the head, its commissure abruptly 

 angulated near the base; no lobe along middle of the tomia, but usually a notch at end. 

 Nostrils placed very high. Eictal bristles usually obvious. Tarsus longer than lateral 

 toe and claw. 



Genus HESPERIPHONA. Bonaparte. 



Bill enormously large and stouf. Wings very long and pointed, reaching beyond the 

 middle of the tail. Primaries much longer than secondaries and tertials ; outer two 

 quills longest, the others rapidly graduated. Tail short, slightly forked, two-thirds the 

 wing. Feet short; tarsus leas than middle toe. Lateral toes nearly equal. Claws 

 much curved, stout, compressed. 



Hesperiphona vespertina (Coop.) Bp. 



Elvening Grrosbeak. 



Sesperiphona vespwtina, Kirtland, Ohio Farmer (newspaper), ix, 1860, 91. — Wheaton, 

 Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1870, 365, 375 ; Reprint, 7, 17 ; Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. 

 Rep. for 1874, 566 ; Reprint, 1875, 6.— CoUBS, Key, 1872, 127 ; Birds of N. W., 1874, 

 127; Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, iv, 1879, 74.— Baied, Brewer and Ridgway, N. A. Birds, 

 i, 1874, 452.—JORDAN, Man. Vert., 1878, 81. 



Fringilla vespertina, Coopek, Ann. Lyo. N. Y., i, 1825, 220. 



Seaperiphona vespertina, Bonaparte, C. R., xxxi, 1850, 424. 



Dusky olivaceous, brighter behind ; forehead, line over the eye, and under tail-coverts 

 yellow; crown, wings, tail and tibiae black'; the secondary quills mostly white; bill 

 greenish -yellow, of immense size, about i of an inch long and nearly as deep. Length, 

 7^8J; wing, 4-4^; tail, 2^^. The female and young differ somewhat, but cannot be mis- 

 taken. 



Habitat, Rocky Mountains to the Pacific ; north to the Saskatchewan ; south to Mex- 

 ico; eastward along the northern tier of States to Lake Superior regularly; to Ohio, 

 Canada, and New York City casually. Indiana {Jordan). 



In my catalogue of 1860 (1861) I mentioned the capture of a specimen 

 in the vicinity of Columbus in 1847. I am now certain that this was an 

 error on the part of my informant ; the only known occurrence of the 



