140 PEUC^A CASSINI, CASSIN'S PINE FINCH, 



<L Lieutenant Warren's Expedition.— i817, Bald Island ; 8750, Loup Fork of the Platte. 



■7 



iafei- Expeditions.— Y3.r. fallax: 60640-5, 61032-51, 61119, various Wyoming locali- SP. 

 ties; 61673, Utah; 62303-6, Idaho. ,-^ 



Not ohtained by Captain Eaynolds' Expedition. i 



Dr. Hayden's Missouri region specimens represent the typical form,"' 

 but one at least approximates to the pale western race (var. fallax).'] 

 This author remarks that it is not abundant in the Northwest, and the* --'' 

 same is the case in most of the unsettled localities of the West, afford-j, 

 ing a parallel with the scarcity of the Eobin under the same circum-; 

 stances. Allen found it abundant only at Ogden, Utah. I did not find. ' 

 it in Northern Dakota. '"'f 7 ' 



PETJO^A CASSINI, (Woodh.) Bd. ^"f' 



Cassin's Pine Finch, 



Zonotrichia cassini, Woodh., Pr. Phila. Acad, vi, 1852, 60 (Texas). 



Passerculus cassini, Woodh., Sitgr. Eep. 1853, 85, pi. 4. 



Peuccea cassini, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 485 (Texas. In part. The Sonora specimen there 

 included is P. wstivalis var. arizonw. See EiDGW., Am. Nat. vii, 187:!, 616). — 

 Heee:h., P. R. E. Eep. x, 1859, Parke's Route, Birds, 12, pi. 4, fig. 2 (Texas).— 

 ScL., Cat. A. B. 1862, 115 (Mexico; compared with type). — Dur.ss., Ibis, 1865, 

 (Texas, eggs). — Sujiich., Mem. Boat. Soc. i, 1869, 551 (Orizaba, resident;. — 

 Coop., B. Cal. i, 1670, 219 (^California).— Eidgw., Am. Nat. vii, 1873, 617 (in 

 text). — Sxow, B. Kans. 1^7:j!, 7. — Cooes, Check-list, App. No. 17U Us. — B. B. & 

 E., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 42, pi. 28, fig. 5. 



Ammodromus cassini, Ge. — Giebel, Nomenc. Av. i, 328. 



Peucwa a'stiralis var. cassini, Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 137 (Middle Kansas). (Not 

 of CouES, Key, 1872, 140, which was intended for what has since been called 

 var. arizonw. See Coues, Check-list, App. No. 170"). 



Sab. — Texas to California, and southward into Mexico. North to Kansas. 



The type of " ZonoiricMa cassini" may bo a young bird, but other specimens in the 

 Smithsonian appear adult, and most probably warrant Mr. Eidgway's separation of 

 the species from aestivalis, although at one time I was of the contrary opinion. It must 

 not be confounded with the pale race of (estivalis (var. arizonw) which occurs in the 

 same region. It was this pale race which I wrongly called var. cassini in the Key ; the 

 mistake is corrected in the Cbeak-list, upon examination of ample material with Mr. 

 Eidgway. 



This species is brought into the present connection upon its occur- 

 rence in Kansas, where it was found by Mr. Allen to be *' rather com- 

 mon along the streams, where its low but peculiarly sweet song is heard 

 at morning and evening, beginning with the first approach of dawn and 

 continuing at evening considerably after nightfall. It is very retiring, 

 and it was only after several attemps that I discovered the author of 

 the sweet notes that at these still hours added greatly to the pleasure 

 of camping on the plains." Dr. Heermann notices it as follows : " My 

 attention having been attracted by the sound of a new note while at 

 Comanche Springs, Texas, I found, after some observation^ that it pro- 

 ceeded from this bird. Kising with a tremulous motion of its wings 

 some twenty feet or more, it descends again in the same manner to 

 within a few yards of the spot whence it started, accompanying its 

 entire flight with a lengthened and pleasing song. The country there- 

 about is very barren, being covered with low stunted bushes, into 

 which the bird takes refuge on being alarmed, gliding rapidly through 

 the grass and shrubbery, adroitly and effectually evading its pursuer. 

 1 observed them during four or five days of our travel, when they dis- 

 appeared. They were probably migrating at the time, though their 

 continued and oft-repeated song gave notice they were about i)repariug 

 for .the duties of incubation." 



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