332 Birds of Colorado 
Habits.—The House-Finch rivals the English Sparrow 
in its attachment to towns and villages, moreover it 
seems well able to hold its own against it although 
inferior in size. Its bright colour and beautiful song 
endear it to all the inhabitants of western towns, and 
if encouraged it becomes tame and familiar. 
Dr. Bergtold relates how it will come to his window- 
sill in the centre of Denver to drink water put out for 
it, and will even enter the room through the open window, 
to take advantage of the radiators. When met with 
in the country, it frequents open hill-sides and ravines, 
but shows none of the familiarity it displays in towns. 
The food consists chiefly of scraps in the town, but in 
the country it has a distinct taste for fruit. The nest 
(Plate 14, Fig. 1) is a compact structure of twigs and 
grass stems, sometimes lined with wool; it is placed in 
bushes or creepers growing about verandahs and porches, 
while in Denver the bird has been frequently observed to 
adapt the large are-light globes used for lighting the streets 
as asafe, warm place to rear a family. It is an early 
breeder, eggs having been found so soon as March 15th, 
and as it raises two broods it is often still engaged in 
incubation as late as July. The male, according to Aiken, 
does not assist ia this matter. The eggs, usually five 
in number, are white, with a blueish or greenish tinge, 
sparsely speckled, chiefly at the larger end, with black, 
and measure "75 x ‘54. Gale found it nesting at Gold 
Hill at about 9,000 feet (Henderson). 
Genus LOXIA. 
Moderate-sized Finches—wing 3 to 4—with the upper and lower 
mandibles faleate and crossed in adults ; nostrils concealed by the nasal 
bristles ; wing long and pointed, tail short, about -60 length of wing. 
Plumage of the males with reddish, of the females with yellowish-green. 
This genus, containing the Crossbills, is found throughout the more 
