The California Linnet 



twigs of a live oak tree, at a height of thirty feet. Unfortunately, the 

 California Jays robbed the nest, as they did another in the same grove; 

 and so far as observation went, a small colony of these finches were prac- 

 tically prevented from nesting in that locality. 



Nests are placed, preferably, near water, in evergreen or deciduous 

 trees, and at heights varying from six to forty feet. They usually occur 

 on a bough at some distance from the trunk of a supporting tree, seldom 

 or never being found in a crotch. Composed externally of twigs, they 

 are lined copiously with green moss, horsehair, and string; and contain 

 four or five handsome blue-green eggs, spotted and dashed with violet 

 and black. 



Two broods are probably brought off in a season, the first about the 

 20th of May and the second a month or so later. A sitting female outdoes 

 a Siskin in her devotion to duty, and not infrequently requires to be lifted 

 from her eggs. The male trusts everything to his wife upon these occa- 

 sions, but is on hand to do his share of the work when it comes to feeding 

 the babies. 



No. 34 



California Linnet 



A. O. U. No. 519. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis (Say). 



Synonyms. — California House Finch. Crimson-fronted Finch. Burion. 



Description. — Adult male in highest spring plumage: Head and neck all around, 

 throat, and breast, broadly, and rump, rich red (carmine, light carmine, or nopal 

 red), or, rarely, tinged with orange; upper back more or less tinged with the same 

 shade (but red never so widely diffused above as in C. purpureus californicus) ; remaining 

 upperparts, wings, and tail brownish gray, or fuscous; margins of feathers vaguely 

 paler; remaining underparts whitish, finely streaked with brownish gray (much more 

 streaked than C. purpureus). Bill horn-color; feet and legs dark brown. In autumn, 

 the reds duller (grayer), more blended, and more widely diffused; the intensity of red, 

 especially, reduced on crown, where varied by darker centers to feathers (pure only 

 on forehead); the wings with many edgings of pinkish, or brownish buffy, not present 

 in spring. In this plumage the appearance of C. m. frontalis very closely approximates 

 that of C. purpureus, the chief distinguishing mark being the presence of numerous 

 and distinct dusky streaks on the posterior underparts, and their more buffy back- 

 ground. Adult female in spring: Above dull grayish brown, streaked with darker; 

 below dull white, sharply and finely streaked with grayish brown or dusky; wings and 

 tail grayish brown without distinguishing marks. Adult female in fresh fall plumage: 

 Above, plumage more blended; wings with some marginings of lighter (buffy gray); 



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