248 
to each others’ calls by constant sharp chirps. For birds of this group they are more 
than usually gregarious. Through the summer each family maintains a close connec¬ 
tion. In fall, their wanderings begin, and then they come together in large companies, 
the numbers being still further augmented by the addition of other species, as the Snow¬ 
birds and Zorotrichias, the whole forming a merry and united flock. Two broods are 
reared in a season. At Santa Barbara in June the young were very numerous, while 
I took the young still in nesting-plumage as late as August 10. I found the species in 
November about San Francisco, and they doubtless winter here. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Collector. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
• 
Bill. 
Tarsus. 
84 
<3 jun. 
Santa Barbara, Cal. 
June 26 
TT. W. Henshaw. 
85 
rf iun. 
.do. 
June 26 
_do. 
86 
Q i un. 
.do. 
June 26 
.... do. 
128 
rf iun. 
June 28 
_do. 
351 
rf iun. 
.do. 
Aug. 10 
_do. 
. 
47 
cf ad. 
.do. 
June 25 
__do.. 
3. 74 
4. 37 
0 60 
1. 08 
422 
cf 
Walker’s Basin, Cal. 
Aug. 27 
_do.. 
3. 84 
4. 68 
0 63 
1. 08 
570 
cf 
Near Kernville, Cal. 
OcL 16 
-do. 
4. 05 
4. 95 
0.67 
1.17 
571 
O 
.do. 
Oct. 16 
_do. 
3. 55 
4. 55 
0. 58 
1. 04 
572 
0 
.do. 
Oct. 16 
_do. 
3. 90 
4. 82 
0 63 
1 12 
634 
rf 
.do. 
Oct. 28 
_do.. 
3. 97 
4. 83 
0 55 
1.10 
648 
Q 
Walker’s Basin, Cal .. 
Nov. 5 
_do. 
3. 67 
4. 57 
0 58 
1. 07 
640 
rf 
_do.. 
N o v. 5 
_do_ 
3 68 
4 67 
0 58 
1 08 
710 
Q 
.do.. 
Nov. 11 
_do. 
3. 78 
4. 52 
0. 59 
1. 05 
+ 
79. Pipilo chlorurus, (Towns.).—Green-tailed Finch. 
r The present bird appears to be by no means as common in Southern California as 
throughout the interior country. It is pre-eminently a mountain-loving species, and 
in California I did not find it lower than 5,000 feet. At this elevation it was breeding 
in the mountains near Fort Tejon; the young, perhaps of a second brood, being taken 
August 1. It inhabits the tangled brakes and thickets nearly always close to the 
streams. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Collector. 
771 
408 
409 
444 
cf jun. 
cf 
cf j Lin. 
9 
Tcjou Mountains, Cal... 
Aug. 1 
Aug. 19 
Aug. 19 
Sept. 1 
H. W. Henshaw. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
_do. 
..do ............. 
Near Mount Whitney, Cal. 
Alaudid^e.—Lakes. 
80. Eremophila alpestris, (Forst.), var. chrysolcenia, Wagl.—Southern Horned Larks. 
The small bright-colored race of the Horned Lark is a common summer resident along 
the coast of Southern California, and is found, too, at this season, according to Dr. Cooper, 
as far north as Puget Sound. In certain parts of the island of Santa Cruz, it was 
very numerous in June, as well, too, as along the adjoining shore of the mainland at 
Santa Barbara. The immense flocks of these birds that gather together in the fall are 
well known, but I was surprised to find to what extent this sociable feeling was car¬ 
ried during the breeding-season. Both on the mainland and on the island they were 
seen all through June in scattered flocks of both sexes, though nearly all, perhaps all, 
were at this time nesting. Both sexes incubate, and it appeared to be the habit of the 
birds when off duty to repair together in small flocks, and thus to wander in search of 
food. At this season they do not resort much to the sandy beaches, but keep on the 
upland, where among the herbage they find more easily, and in greater abundance, the 
insects and seeds which they are fond of. Their time of breeding must be quite irreg¬ 
ular, as I found a fully-fledged young one June 1, though after this I took two nests, 
with fresh eggs, and the greater number, I am persuaded, still had eggs. 
The nests were but rude attempts, being nothing more than a small pile of dried 
grasses, sufficiently hollowed to admit the reception of the eggs. One is deserving of 
notice as being placed within the cavity of an “ubalone” shell, one of a large heap, 
lying half overgrown with herbage. The whole cavity of the shell was filled by the 
material, and the eggs looked prettily enough as they lay contrasted with the shiny, 
pearly shells clustered about them. The eggs have a grayish-white background, 
spotted quite uniformly with deckings of reddish brown. In one set of these, the back¬ 
ground is almost obscured by the markings, which are aggregated together in blotches. 
Two sets measured 0.86 X 1.81 — 0.85 X 0.63—0.88 X 0.63; 0.80 X 0.63 — 0.80 X 0.63 
— 0.77 X 0.62. 
