186 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
sible. The Rosy Finch is distributed over a wide range of country, the Pine 
Grosbeak over a very restricted area. The eggs of the rupicoline Rosy Finch 
defied a small army of searchers for 79 years ; those of the arboreal Grosbeak, 
but a small fraction of that number, for 49 summers. From this comparison all 
can draw their own conclusions as to the relative rarity and to the comparative 
difficulty of securing the respective first sets. 
The following description of the male Pine Grosbeak collected with the 
type set serves to show how birds in this “yellow” phase of plumage are almost, 
if not entirely, indistinguishable from the females in coloration : General color of 
body plain gray ; wings and tail somewhat darker. Most of the wing feathers, 
both quill feathers and coverts, edged with whitish. Tail feathers edged with 
the same grayish shade as the body color. Top of head and cheeks coppery 
yellowish, this color extending in disconnected spots onto the dorsum. A small 
spot of the same yellowish color on the rump. 
While the rich poppy red plumage of the male California Pine Grosbeak 
is not so conspicuous as the bright yellow of the Louisiana Tanager or Western 
Evening Grosbeak, it is, nevertheless, one of the most beautiful of all Sierran 
birds. Campers, tourists and summer residents often described the Tanager, 
which is a common bird in the region, asking us its identity : and sometimes, too, 
the Evening Grosbeak had attracted their attention. But when we, in turn, gave 
a description of the Pine Grosbeak scarcely anybody ever recollected seeing such a 
bird, and when they did we soon found they were confusing it with the very 
abundant Cassin Purple Finch. The resemblance to this bird is, however, only 
slight. The California Pine Grosbeak, both in form and flight is a rather grace- 
ful bird, for although somewhat plump in build this is equalized by the long wings 
and tail. 
Although Price states that he saw the Pine Grosbeak usually in company 
with the Cassin Purple Finch and the Western Evening Grosbeak it may be of 
interest to note how widely experience may differ, for on no occasion have we 
ever seen the bird associating with any other species. 
On June 20, the day after the two sets of eggs were collected, Littlejohn 
desiring to secure a Rosy Finch before leaving and I to investigate the nidologi- 
cal ix)ssibilities of the wild woodland that surrounded a certain alpine lake, 
started up the southeast slope of Pyramid Peak. As we ascended, we could see 
approaching from the west a lofty wall of huge, brownish, storm clouds extend- 
ing north and south as far as the eye could reach. From previous experience in 
these altitudes we needed no barometer to tell us that a great storm was ap- 
proaching, and curtailing our trip afield as much as possible we returned to camp 
several hours before noon. Lhider the circumstances, the principal work of the 
trip having been accomplished, hasty preparations were made for an immediate 
departure ; for already the sky was clouding and a gusty wdnd wailing along the 
meadows. During our absence close to the cabins Fleinemann saw the last Pine 
Grosbeak of the year, the eighteenth bird to be recorded. 
The following table gives a summary of our season’s work afield. Where 
the same birds were seen on succeeding days their occurrence is not recorded. 
Although Heinemann heretofore has not engaged in ornithological work afield 
I have counted his mileage on the present trip, as he made it a point to familiar- 
ize himself with the Grosbeaks both by sight aiid song. 
Leaving Forni’s at 2:40 P. M. we took a very direct trail down precipitous 
mountain sides to Echo which we reached at 5 :40 i’. m., and later Phillips’ at 
