MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 137 



about June 1st. The first full set of eggs was found June 3 J, and in one 

 instance half-grown young were found June 6th. Generally, however, 

 they appeared to commence laying about June 5th. Quite unsuspicious, 

 and lias the most elaborate song of any bird on the Plains. 



] 8. Peucaea aestivalis, var. Cassinii. Rather common along the 

 streams, where its low but peculiarly sweet song is heard at morning and 

 evening, beginning with the first approach of dawn, and continuing at 

 evening considerably after nightfall. It is very retiring, and it was 

 only after several attempts that I discovered the author of the sweet notes 

 that at these still hours added greatly to the pleasures of camping on the 

 plains. The plumage is very much paler than that of Florida specimens, 

 agreeing with that of the so-called P. "Cassinii." 



19. Calamospiza bicolor. Common here and there on the plains, liv- 

 ing apparently in scattered colonies. Females were obtained from June 5th 

 to 10th, that had evidently commenced incubation, but our long searches 

 for the nest of this species proved always fruitless. The birds are very 

 wary and difficult to shoot. Like most birds of the Plains, they are very 

 tenacious of life, and when shot through vital parts, will generally fly sev- 

 eral hundred yards before falling, finally dropping dead. It is a bird of 

 powerful flight, delighting in the strongest gales, which force most other 

 species to lie sheltered in the grass. It has habits that strongly recall the 

 yellow-breasted chat, singing generally on the wing, hovering in the same 

 manner as that bird, while its notes are so similar to those of the chat as to 

 be scarcely distinguishable from them. Hence while collecting, we natu- 

 rally applied to it the cognomen of the " Black Chat." The plumage of 

 the males varies considerably in color, some being entirely black, except 

 the white wing-patches, while others have the plumage more or less skirted 

 with brownish-white, and in others there is an intermixture of feathers 

 wholly brownish. After the moulting season the males assume the plumage 

 of the female, the change in color being similar to that of the males of 

 Dolichonyx oryzivora. 



20. Euspiza americana. Abundant on Big Timber Creek, and some 

 were seen along the Saline. 



21. Goniaphea melanocephala. Several pairs seen along Big Creek 

 near Fort Hays. A nest with half-grown young was obtained June ljth. 

 Another nest built by the same pair was found with eggs about June 27th. 

 The song of this species so much resembles that of G. ludoviciana that at 

 first we mistook the species for that bird, and were only undeceived by 

 shooting specimens. 



No representatives of the genera Cyanospiza, Spizetta, or Melospiza were 

 observed during our five weeks' stay at this locality. 



