344 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



When among its favorite bushes the small sparrow is hard to see, 

 for its quick darting flight ends on the earth and it runs over the 

 ground like a mouse. The best view you can get of it is when it 

 mounts a bush and throws up its finely striped head to sing. And 

 what an odd little song it gives ! It has the metallic, insect-like 

 quality of a marsh wren's song, and something the jingle of a 

 canary's, but though unmusical the ditty is so cheery and bright as 

 to be distinctly pleasing. 



The sparrows' morning and evening choruses are especially interest- 

 ing, the evening the more so perhaps when the birds are feeding 

 young, as they have more time when their broods are attended to 

 for the night. I heard the chorus for the first time in Sierra Valley, 

 California, when we rode in through the sagebrush and camped on 

 the edge of the pines just at sunset. The curious little tinkling 

 song was coming up from all over the brush, and it seemed as if we 

 had come upon a marsh full of singing, though subdued, marsh 

 wrens. 



563a. Spizella pusilla arenacea Chadb. WESTERN FIELD SPARROW. 



Adults. -- Bill rufous or orange; broad median crown stripe and some- 

 times whole crown gray between reddish brown lateral stripes, which are 

 sometimes indistinct ; postocular streak rufous ; back grayish, rufous, and 

 buffy, streaked with black ; wing 1 with two distinct bars ; under parts 

 whitish, slightly tinged with rufous. Young : similar but colors duller 

 and more suffused ; markings of head less distinct and lower parts streaked. 

 Male: length (skins) 5.58-6.02, wing 2.69-2.80, tail 2.60-2.83. bill .37-.39. 

 Female : length (skins) 5. wing 2.44, tail 2.47, bill .37. 



Remarks.-- The reddish bill and absence of pectoral blotch are enough 

 to distinguish this sparrow from the western tree sparrow. 



Distribution.-- Breeds in the northwestern part of the Plains in Ne- 

 braska, South Dakota, and Montana ; migrates to northern Mexico. 



Nest. On or near the ground, in old weed grown fields and thickets, 

 made mainly of grass stems. Eggs : 3 to 5, white, tinged with green or 

 buff, and speckled with reddish brown. 



Food. Insects and weed seed. 



564. Spizella wortheni Ridgir. WORTHEN SPARROW. 



Top of head dull reddish brown, indistinctly streaked with darker, rest 



of head, including forehead, ashy ; back pale 

 tawny, broadly streaked with black ; under 

 parts whitish, tinged with buffy gray on cheeks 

 and sides ; bill pinkish brown or cinnamon 

 rufous. Male: length (skins) 4.98-5.07, winy 

 2.63-2.76, tail 2.35-2.53, bill .37-.30. Female: 

 length (skins) 5.06-5.25, wing 2.55-2.69. tail 

 2.27-2.50, bill .35-.36. 



Remarks. - - The Worthen sparrow may be 

 distinguished from the western chipping by the 

 absence of black on forehead and black streak 

 behind eye. 



Distribution. --From Silver City, New Mexico, south on plateau of 

 northeastern Mexico to southern Puebla. 



