BIRDS OF NEW YORK 303 



cially along old fences, hedgerows, stone piles and weed fields, retreating 

 to a cover of sparse shrubbery when disturbed. It is even less wild and 

 suspicious by nature than the White-throat and will frequently allow one 

 to approach within a few feet without the slightest concern. Bird students 

 have frequently reported to me that they have seen a White-crowned 

 sparrow when it was only a white-throat, but one who has really seen a 

 White-crowned sparrow can never be in doubt for a moment, its prevailing 

 gray coloration on the upper parts being in decided contrast to the more 

 rufous and rusty hue of the White-throat's back. This species also has 

 much more white about the striping of the crown and no yellowish in front 

 of the eye. 



The song of the White-crown is one of the finest of our sparrow 

 melodies, resembling somewhat the latter portion of the White-throat's 

 performance, but repeated several times. It has a peculiarly pleasing, 

 pathetic quality, a clear soft whistle, " a peculiar sad cadence," among 

 its near relatives ranking next to the Fox sparrow's in my estimation. 



Zonotrichia leucophrys gambeli (Nuttall) 



Gambel Sparrow 



Fringilla gambelii Nuttall. Manual Orn. Ed. 2. 1840. 1:556 

 Zonotrichia leucophrys gambel A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. 

 p. 262. No. 554a 



gambeli, to William Gambel of Philadelphia 



Description. Almost exactly like the White-crowned sparrow, but the lores entirely 

 whitish, the white superciliary stripe continuing forward to the bill; bill yellowish; size very 

 slightly less than the White-crowned sparrow. 



Distribution. The Gambel sparrow breeds from Montana and eastern Oregon north- 

 ward to Alaska and Anderson river, passing the winter in Mexico and Lower California. 

 This western species has been taken once in New York State, at Ithaca, April 30, 1898, 

 a male in full plumage, by Louis A. Fuertes. The specimen is perfectly typical of the 

 subspecies gambeli and may be regarded either as a straggler from the western states 

 or as an aberrant form or mutant of leucophrys. In any case, its occurrence here is 

 purely accidental. 



