GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY OF .THE TEEEITOEIES. 



The lazuli finch-, or blue linnet, is very common near Ogden, and 

 in the bushes that border some of the streams in Teton Basin. There 

 are but few of our western birds that rival or even equal this handsome 

 little bird, either in beauty of plumage or sweetness of voice. They are 

 greenish blue above, the head and neck being of the same color ; the 

 upper part of the breast is chestnut, separated from the throat by a faint 

 white crescent, and the belly is white. They seem to take great delight 

 in perching themselves up among the branches of some scrub-oaks, not 

 far apart, trying to see who shall excel the other in pouring forth their 

 sweet melodies. 



1 obtained three nests of this species at Ogden ; one, IN'o. 8, (16283,) 

 was on a scrub-oak about three feet high, and the other two, Nos. 

 9 (16284,) and 35 (16285,) were on sage-bushes, (artemisia,) about two 

 feet above the ground. The eggs, generally four in number, are laid 

 about the first or middle of June, in a beautiful downy nest, composed 

 of fibrous grasses and wool, lined with hair. 



Pipilo megalonyx^ Baird, (spurred towhee.) 



No. 



Catalogue- 

 number. 



Sex. 



Date. 



Measure- 

 ments. 



No. of 

 nest. 



Locality. 



^ 



61678 

 61679 

 61680 

 61681 



$ 

 $ 

 $ 

 5 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 



June 7,1872 

 June 8, 1872 

 June 13, 1872 

 June 13, 1872 

 June 14, 1872 

 June 14,1872 

 June 15, 1872 

 June 21, 1872 







Ogden, Utali. 



32 

 56 

 57 



67 



8tV X \\\ 

 8* X 11-1 

 8tV X lOA 

 - X Hi 

 8i X Hi 

 8i X 11 



m X Hi 



"31"' 

 32 



"se" 



Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



69 



77 

 119 



61682 

 61683 

 61684 



Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



Kab. — Southern coast of California and across through valleys of Gila 

 and Rio Grande, west to Rocky Mountains. 



Spurred towhees are very jjlentiful in the scrub-oaks near Ogden; 

 we saw none elsewhere. In habits they greatly resemble the black- 

 headed grosbeak, (6rMiram meZa?ioce2>/iaZa.) About the middle of June 

 they build a rude nest of dry grass and leaves; this is placed on the 

 ground, generally at the foot of a small bush, and contains four or five 

 light-colored eggs, spotted with reddish brown. 



Pipilo cMorura, Baird, (green-tailed finch.) 



No. 



Catalogue- 

 number. 



- 



Sex. 



Date. 



Measure- 

 ments.' 



Locality. 



177 



182 

 213 



62292 

 62293 

 62294 



9 

 2 



July 20,1872 

 July 22,1872 

 Aug. 3, 1872 



n X 10^ 



7i X 9f 

 7| X lOi 



Conaut Creek, Idaho. 

 T6ton Basin, Idaho. 

 Do. 



Sab. — ^Valley of Rio Grande and Gila 5 Rocky Mountains north to 

 Yellowstone Lake ; south to Mexico. 



We did not meet with this species in abundance at any locality on 

 our route. 



