Descriptions of the California House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis) are quite uniform in recognizing that orange occasionally takes the place of the typical red in the color of the males. Baileycx), Hoffmann(2), Dawsonc3) and Wyman(4) all mention this in their descriptions of the species. The fact that the range in color is far wider than this is recognized, if not in the general literature on the subject, by all ornithologists and by many who are merely bird lovers. As previously stated (Condor, xxvmI, 1926, p. 254), our banding work early led us to an interest in the color variation of this species, and, almost immediately, to the taking of notes on the color of each male House Finch. We soon felt this method cumbersome and inadequate, especially so because more than one person was engaged in the work, and notes on color, even by the same person, have a tendency to be extremely difficult to visualize at a later date. It, therefore, was decided to preserve actual feathers for comparison and these were taken from the rump feathers, of which a few can be removed with apparently no discomfort to the bird. If the color on the head or chest varied from the rump, or if for any other reason a note on the coloring seemed desirable, these, together with the bird's number and the date, were written on the paper in which the feathers were wrapped. When a number of such samples had been collected they were transfered to sheets of paper, one for each bird represented by a feather sample. In addition, the date and band number of each sample was entered in a card index, and whenever a male linnet was captured a glance in the index told whether a sample had been taken during the previous three months. If not, a new one was taken. For the purpose of studying the colors this method has both defects and advantages. The great advantage is that it permits the study of the same bird in different plumages under natural conditions, provided the bird returns one or more times with intervening molts. We have had one of these birds in six successive plumages, and since linnets are reported as always turning yellow in captivity, it seemed worth while to follow their colors in the wild state. This we have had