552 Colorado College Publication 



In 1904 the pair appeared March 3 and after Hngering 

 about the old nest sometime began carrying material from it 

 across the street where the nest was constructed. Work 

 done by the female closely attended by the male. English 

 Sparrows then built their own nest on the platform of the 

 denuded finch nest. 



In 1905 the pair of House Finches came February 26 and 

 for nearly a month kept near the old nest which they seemed 

 bent on reoccupying, but on March 11a catastrophe occurred 

 which closed their life history. In attempting to destroy the 

 pestiferous English Sparrows I accidentally killed both finches. 

 much to my regret. They had for ten years been members of 

 my domestic family. Their skins are preserved in the Aiken 

 Collection in Colorado College, their original numbers being, 

 male, 4577, and female, 4578. 



My excuse for relating this extended history is that I be- 

 lieve that some light may be thrown upon the breeding habits 

 of various other species of birds by the, application of my nar- 

 ration. I have space to point out but one point here. I assume 

 and ami convinced that the birds were in their first neproduc- 

 tive year when they built the first nest. They reached the 

 height of reproductivity in the third year when they raised 

 three broods. In succeeding years they dropped to two broods 

 and then to one. This may be accepted as a law or rule appli- 

 cable to other species whose habit is recorded of producing 

 two or more broods in a season. We may conclude that the 

 more vigorous pairs produce two or more broods some sea- 

 sons but other pairs may produce but one. 



Breeding male House Finches show a variable amount of 

 red in the plumage. Those with the least I have supposed to 

 be birds of the previous year which would acquire the full plu- 

 mage at succeeding moults, concluding also that deficiency 

 of red characterized all birds of the year. I think this is the 

 prevailing view. In 1907 I made investigations which throw 

 some light on the subject. Young birds take on the coat worn 



