326 Birds of Colorado 
The female is smoky-grey above, darkest on the head and tinged 
on the hind-neck with greenish-yellow ; wings, tail and tail-coverts 
black, with white tips and patches on many of the feathers ; below 
bufty-grey, becoming white on the throat and under tail-coverts; a 
dusky sub-malar streak on each side of the throat. 
This subspecies differs from the eastern form in its smaller and more 
slender bill, its narrow frontal band and in the more buffy under-parts 
of the female. 
Distribution.— Western North America from British Columbia to 
northern Mexico, east to the eastern bases of the Rocky Mountains. 
In Colorado the Evening-Grosbeak is an irregular wanderer, 
appearing from time to time and then not seen perhaps for months 
or even years; but as it has been met with during every month in 
the year and is known to breed, it may be classed as w resident 
bird. Its range extends from the plains to 10,000 feet, at which 
elevation Lowe records it in the fall from the Wet Mountains. Other 
records are: Fort Collins, July, October (Cooke), Estes Park, breeding 
(Dille), Boulder co., regularly in winter since 1901 (Henderson), Weld 
co., June (Markman), El Paso co., January, May, June (Aiken) ; Fremont 
co., April (Aiken), Beulah, May, July and August (Jones apud Cooke) ; 
Fort Lyon, May (Cooke), Routt co., breeding (H. G. Smith), Mesa co. 
(Rockwell), La Plata co., May (Morrison). 
Habits.—This handsome bird is almost always to be 
met with in small flocks, and generally in the pine woods 
of the mountains, though it sometimes comes down to 
the plains, and I have even seen it in the suburbs of 
Colorado Springs in October, attracted by the buds of 
the maple trees planted in the streets, of which it appears 
to be excessively fond. It also feeds on the berries of 
the cedars and other fruits, while in summer caterpillars 
and insects form its chief food. Its voice is a loud, clear 
whistle. 
Dille and his collector Andrews found a nest of this 
bird in Estes Park in 1903, at an elevation of about 
9,000 feet. There were many of the birds at the time 
in the park, but the nest was not located till July 4th. 
It was placed about forty feet up, towards the end of 
a horizontal limb of a tall white pine (Pinus flexilis). The 
nest was a deep cup and well constructed ; it consisted 
