The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado SSS 



number in various winters near Colorado Springs and Colo- 

 rado City. Occasionally it comes right into town; thus one 

 was seen December 29, 1902, near the Plaza Hotel in Colo- 

 rado Springs, and February 12, 1903, two were seen feeding 

 with a large flock of Horned Larks on millet seed which had 

 been put out for the latter. They are often about the care- 

 taker's house at Lake Moraine in winter. Rosy Finches are 

 sociable birds and are almost always found in flocks, fre- 

 quently of many individuals, and sometimes including all four 

 of the forms which are found in Colorado. In April, 1874, a 

 flock fed about Aiken's dooryard in Colorado Springs and he 

 captured some alive and kept them in a wire cage for a time. 

 They evinced no fear and would occasionally sing an unpre- 

 tentious trill. 



Leucosticte tephrocotis littoralis. Hepburn's Rosy Finch. 



Winter visitor ; not common. 



This species is found associated with the others, but is not 

 nearly as common. Aiken has taken a few near Colorado 

 Springs and Colorado City, and Warren took two at Lake 

 Moraine, December 12-13, 1906, and saw one a mile southwest 

 of Colorado City, November 7, 1913, in company with about a 

 dozen of the preceding species. 



Leucosticte atrata. Black Rosy Finch. 



Winter visitor ; not common. 



The type of this species was shot by Aiken at Caiion City 

 end the name atrata was suggested by him to Ridgway. The 

 Black Rosy Finch has been met with a number of times in 

 El Paso County where it occurs as a winter visitor with con- 

 siderable regularity and at all altitudes. Like others of its 

 kin it is a mountain bird but is sometimes driven down to the 

 plains by snow. Aiken obtained specimens from the summit 

 of Pike's Peak in 1877, Colorado City in 1878, and from near 

 Colorado Springs in 1883, while Warren found it at Lake 



