309 
FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 
coverts; plumage everywhere gray beneath the surface, giving an effect 
of immaturity; scapulars and feathers of the central hack with only faint 
trace of dusky centers; wings and tail dusky, feathers tipped and edged with 
whitish. Adult female: general color clear ash gray, bright tawny yellow 
on top and sides of head, back of neck, and middle of breast; tail with 
faint yellow wash on upper coverts. Young: like female, but brownish 
gray, with brownish and grayish edgings to wings and tail. Male : length 
(skins), 7.75, wing 4.33-4.52, tail 3.60-4.21, bill .55—.59. Female: length 
(skins), 7.40-7.95, wing 4.05-4.25, tail 3.58-4.05, bill .55-62. 
Distribution. — Breeds in Hudsonian zone in the higher parts of the 
Sierra Nevada, central California. 
The pine grosbeaks are associated with patches of snow and furry 
hemlocks on the mountain heights where Townsend solitaires live 
and nutcrackers come from the dwarf pines of the peaks. 
The California form of Pinicola is found in the high Sierra, and 
in July, 1900, when climbing the wooded side of the old crater of 
Lincoln Peak, we had the good fortune to meet with a pair of the 
lovely birds at 7800 feet. They were as characteristically tame and 
trustful as they always are in gunless regions. Flying down to a 
snowbank in front of us they hopped over its surface, busily picking 
up what we supposed to be seeds from the hemlock cones, quite 
regardless of us, though so near that we could easily have photo¬ 
graphed them had the evergreens let in enough light for a snap-shot. 
Afterwards, in camp, three hundred feet lower, a number of the 
grosbeaks stopped at different times in the beautiful little hemlocks 
over our tent. Most of them were in the yellowish plumage, but 
one or two were rare rose-colored beauties that would excite the 
admiration of the most insensible. While resting they gave their 
soft call-notes and warbled their sweet rolling song, and though they 
were soon off and away they had lent a new distinction to the hem¬ 
locks that, in memory, will always be graced by their gentle presence. 
515c. P. e. alasceitsis Ridgw. Alaskan Pine Grosbeak. 
Adult male. — Body mainly red, pinkish in winter, fading to gray on 
belly; back with centers.of feathers strikingly dark brownish; wings with 
two white bars, whitish tips, and edgings ; bill short and turgid , upper 
mandible only slightly longer than lower. Adult female : top and sides of 
head and upper tail coverts tawny yellow, dark centers of feathers of back 
distinctly brownish. Male : length (skins), 8.60-9.69, wing 4.41-5.00, tail 
3.34-4.03, bill .55-.60. Female : length (skins), 7.69-8.70, wing 4.48-4.73, 
tail 3.46-3.84, bill .57-.61. 
Distribution. — Northwestern North America except Pacific coast, in¬ 
cluding wooded interior of Alaska ; south in winter to Montana. 
GENUS CARPODACUS. 
General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, conical, thick, its depth at 
base greater than width; tarsus short, about equal to middle toe with 
claw. 
