BIRDS—FRIN GILLIDAE—CARP0D4CUS CALIFORNICUS. 
413 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings 
Wing. 
1353 
A 
April 13, 1844 
S. F. Baird. 
6. 17 
10. 50 
3. 33 
796 
A 
Oct. 14, 1842 
5. 83 
9. 83 
3. 17 
1380 
O 
April 22, 1844 
6. 42 
10. 33 
3. 17 
2138 
¥ 
A 
_do. 
April 23, 1845 
.do. 
6. 17 
9. 83 
3. 17 
797 
..do 
Oct. 14, 1842 
5. 83 
10. 17 
3. 17 
2139 
A 
__do __ _ 
April 23.1845 
_do_ 
6.42 
10. 17 
3. 17 
309 
A 
April —. 1841 
_do_....... 
6. 00 
10. 00 
931 
0 
_do_ 
April 28, 1843 
7040 
¥ 
A 
May 15 1857 
Lieut. Bryan__ 
W. S. Wood 
4853 
9 
Vermilion river, Neb. 
May 8, 1856 
Dr. Hayden.._ 
Lt. Warren_ 
6. 00 
10. 00 
3. 62 
CARPODACUS CALIFORNICUS, Baird. 
Western Purple Finch. 
Sp. Ch ; —S imilar to purpureus. Third quill longest; first shorter than the fourth. Purple of head and rump much 
darker than in C. purpureus; the head with a broad supraorbital lateral ba lighter purple. Length, 6 .2 ; wing, 3.20 ; 
tail, 2.60. 
Hub .—Pacific coast of United States. 
In the examination of a large series of shins (over sixty in number) of the western purple 
finch, I have found differences which indicate either a decided geographical variety, or a distinct 
species from the typical eastern C. purpureus. The size appears somewhat less. The upper 
mandible appears lower in proportion to the inferior one, and is darker than in eastern 
specimens. The culmen i3 more curved, and lacks the gentle concavity on the basal portion. 
The male is of a considerably darker purple, especially on the head and the rump ; that on the 
former in quite strong and abrupt contrast, to the back, instead of fading gently into it. 
The sides of the crown are of a lighter purple than elsewhere, giving rise to quite a conspicuous 
supraorbital stripe, scarcely or not at all appreciable in eastern skins. 
The female of the western type differs from that of the eastern in being more olivaceous above, 
and in having the streaks below rather larger, and not so well defined. There appears to be a 
difference in the marking of the wings. In eastern C. purpureus there is usually a ■well marked 
whitish band across the ends of the middle coverts, while the greater coverts, though margined 
externally by paler, have a still lighter bar across the posterior extremity, which is not seen in 
the western bird. 
The wing formula of the two species differs very greatly, the third quill in the western bird 
being generally longest, instead of the second; the first shorter than the fourth, instead of 
much longer, and shorter than the third. 
I 
