LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. 61 



The Arizona Goldfinch, Spinus psahria arizonse Stejn,, a local variety of the 

 foregoing, was found in considerable numbers by Dr. Elliott Coues in New Mexico, near 

 Fort "Wingate, and at Fort "Whipple, Arizona. It is said to occur also in western Texas 

 and in northern Mexico. 



The Mexican Goldfinch, Spinus psaltria mexicana Stejn., is reported to occur in 



southern Texas, from where it is distributed through Mexico south to Costa Rica. 



DESCRIPTION: Male: Upper parts and sides of head and neck of Arkansas Goldfinch olive-green. Upper 

 tail-coverts, wings, tail, and hood, but not sides of head below the eyes, black. Underneath, bright 

 yellow ; white band on wings. Female: Upper parts and sides, olive-green ; wings and tail, brown ; 

 white band and wings. — Length, 4.25 inches; wing, 2.40; tail, 1.85 inches. 



LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. 



Spinus lawrencei Bonaparte. 



This Goldfinch is common throughout a large part of California. In its habits it 

 is much like the American Goldfinch, but its notes are weaker and the song is. higher 

 in its pitch. They are exceedingly gregarious in winter and move about in very large 

 flocks. They eat the seeds of grasses and the buds of shrubs and trees with great 

 avidity. Dr. Cooper says that they sometimes feed on the ground on grass-seeds. They 

 are regarded by him as more of a sylvan species than the Common Goldfinch, and not 

 so fond of willows and other trees growing along streams and in wet places. In the 

 Colorado valley, it is said, they feed on the seeds of the artemisia. They w^ere found 

 breeding at San Diego. Their nests were placed in forks of bushes or stunted oaks 

 and w^ere composed of fine grasses, lined with hair and feathers. Nests found by Dr. 

 Canfield at Monterey, Cal., were all "more or less felted, and beautifully wrought, fully 

 equal in artistic skill to the nests of the Goldfinch. They were about 1.50 inches in 

 height and 3.00 in diameter, and the cavity 1.00 inch in depth and 1.75 in diameter. 

 The walls of these nests were soft, warm, and thick, composed of wool, both vegetable 

 and animal, fine stems of grasses, down, feathers, and other materials, all closely matted 

 together, and lined with the long hair of larger animals. One of these nests was made 

 up entirely of the finer grasses, strongly matted together." (Brewer.) The eggs are of 

 a uniform greenish-w^hite, very similar to those of the species described. 



Correspondents inform me that at present this little Goldfinch nests preferably in 

 pear, peach, almond, and apricot orchards, in orange and olive groves, and also 

 abundantly in the California live oaks. 

 NAMES: Lawrence's Goldfinch, California Goldfinch. 

 SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Carduelis lawrencei Cass. (1850). Cbrysomitris lawrencei Bonap. (1853). SPINUS 



LAWRENCEI STEjti. (1884). 



DESCRIPTION: "Male: Hood, sides of head antftrior to the middle of the eye, chin, and upper part of 

 throat, black. Sides of head, neck, and body, upper part of neck and the back, and upper tail-coverts, 

 ash-color. Rump and lesser wing-coverts, yellowish-green. Throat below the black, breast, and outer 

 edges of all the quills (exfcept the first primary, and passing into white behind), bright greenish-yellow. 

 Wings, bla.ck. Tail-feathers, bl^ck, with a white square patch on the inner web, near the end ; outer 

 edges, grayish; quills, black. Female: Similar, with the black of the head replaced by ash. Young: 

 Like the female, but wing-bands pale fulvous, instead of yellow. 



"Length, about 4.70 inches; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.30 inches." (B. B. & R.) 



