1922] Swarth: Birds and Mammals of the Stikine Region 235 



Leucosticte tephrocotis littoralis Baird. Hepburn Rosy Finch 



Met with at but one locality, on the mountain tops above Doch-da-on 

 Creek. We made two trips to the higher ridges above timber line, and 

 saw rosy finches in some numbers each time. They appeared in view 

 soon after we emerged from the upper edge of the forest (about 3500 

 feet) and they evidently inhabited all of the open country from there 

 on upward. Upon our first visit to their territory (July 11) not many 

 of the birds were seen, and they were mostly drifting about through 

 the air by twos and threes, as horned larks do at times. 



The next time we climbed the mountain, on July 23, we found 

 them in much greater numbers. Just at the upper edge of the timber 

 a flock of twenty or thirty was encountered, feeding in tall dry grass 

 that had grown up in an area previously swept by fire. Many dead 

 trees stood on this slope, and the rosy finches when startled flew to the 

 tree tops. This entire flock was of adult birds; two males were col- 

 lected, and my impression was that they were all males, beginning to 

 flock together after the nesting season. A little farther on females 

 and young were found, mostly near extensive snow banks. The young 

 were all in juvenal plumage and were not quite full grown; that is, 

 wing iand tail feathers had not reached their full length. The old 

 birds were assiduously feeding the young, and in the pursuit of this 

 duty we several times saw them fly into the air to capture flying insects, 

 which were then carried to the waiting offspring. 



Twenty-one specimens collected, all taken July 23 (nos. 39889- 

 39909), four adult males, seven adult females, six juvenal males, three 

 Juvenal females, and one juvenal with sex not ascertained. 



The adults are all in worn breeding plumage, though the feathers 

 are not so ragged as might be expected. Some are just beginning the 

 annual molt. The main plumage variation concerns the gray coloration 

 on chin and throat. In some the brown of the breast extends well up 

 on the chin, in others there are scattered gray feathers extending 

 downward from the throat on to the breast. The juvenals, as com- 

 pared with the similar stage in Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni from 

 the Sierras of California, are noticeably dark colored throughout. 



The gullets and stomachs were preserved of sixteen birds, all that 

 contained any food. From these it is evident that insects form a 

 large part of the diet of both old and young during the summer months. 

 Stomach contents (determined at the United States Biological Survey) 

 in detail are as follows : 



