Song Birds. £19 
of the fact that bird-songs are so seldom heard in early winter, there 
is one species which does occasionally sing at this season. Sam- 
uel’s song sparrow ( Melospiza fasciata samuelis) is one of the few 
birds that sing more or less in every month of the year. It is 
quite frequently heard in November, very rarely in December, more 
frequently in January, while in February it is in full song. I am 
unable to detect the slightest difference between the songs of this 
variety and of its Eastern counterpart. 
There is one bird which occasionally favors us with a song, dur- 
ing the winter months, which far surpasses the vocal powers of the 
species previously considered. This is Townsend's sparrow ( Pas- 
serella iliaca unalaschcensts), which is the rarest as well as the 
sweetest of our winter songsters. Its song, which is loud, rich and 
varied, is heard only on warm, spring - like days in winter, and the 
bird remains so secluded while singing that it was some time alter 
first hearing it before I ascertained positively from what species the 
notes came. I have heard it sing but three times, and consider it 
quite unusual for this latitude. 
It is unnecessary to consider the songs of Gambel’s white-crowned 
sparrow ( Zonotrichia leucophrys gambeli) and the golden-crowned 
sparrow( Z. coronata),both of which have been described in a previous 
paper. In addition to these, the house finch ( Carfodacus mexicanus 
frontalis) is the only remaining bird commonly in song during the 
‘winter months. During December its song is rarely heard, al- 
though I have noted it on one or two occasions, but in Jan- 
uary the birds begin to sing again, and by February they are 
in full song. The well-known habit of this bird of singing on 
the wing enhances the effect of its note, which sounds like a wild 
rapturous gush of bubbling melody borne on the wind as the little 
songster flits by. 
At the beginning of spring the Oregon junco (/unco hyemalis 
oregonus) is frequently heard. Its song, which is usually heard 
in the latter half of February, is a modest little warble. It has 
two other notes, first its ordinary chirp or twitter, which is the 
usual call note and cry of alarm, and second a fine, high, squeaky 
note, sounding singularly like the note of Anna’s hummer ( 77och- 
dlus anna). 
The Western robin (Merula migratoria propinqua) very rarely 
sings in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, but it is occasionally 
~ 
