478 LAND BIRDS 



flocks separate, each pair going to its clioaou nesting site 

 in the furry hemlocks, and iiouse-building begins. Botli 

 sexes carry material and weave the walls of tlio iionio, 

 which is well hidden and securely fastened among the 

 thick branches. It is very difficult to discover even when 

 you have located the tree, and the birds themselves, al- 

 though not fihy, are wary about disclosing this secret. 

 So tlie bh'd-lover must be content with lying under the 

 hemlocks and watching the pretty rose-colored male carry- 

 ing food to his mate throiigii the days of incubation ; and 

 listening to his liquid trilling, as the setting sun tinges 

 his breast with a deeper rose, or as at four A. M. he greets 

 another blue day. Ho makes a welcome bit of color in 

 the sombre woods, and delicious music in their silence. 

 Unless you hear his rival, the Townsend solitaire, who 

 frequents much the same haunts, you are quite ready to 

 call him the musician of the mountain tops. 



517 a. CALIFORNIA PURPI-K FI}^CU. — Carpodacus 



jmr/mrciix calijhniicus. 



Family : 1'Iic Finclics, .S[)urrows, I'Lc. 



Lmgth: fj. 50-6. 25. 



Adult Male : Upper parts dark mnddor-pink, clonr on rump, di'(!|i()r mid 

 brighter on top of head ; back streiiki'd with dusky ; middle of belly 

 and lower tail-coverts white ; ri'inuinder of under parts light rose- 

 pink with sides and flanks strongly tiiifji^d with brownish and streaked 

 with darker. 



Adult Female: Upper parts grayish olive, heavily sti'cnkod with brown j 

 under parts ashy white, finely streiiked ; siiliw of head with two dis- 

 tinct brownish stripes, one on ear-coverts, the. other on each side of 

 throat, — the two separated by a whitish stripe. 



