252 



North American Birds Eggs. 



TGrayish. 



♦'^ 



Dull white. I 



537. Smith Longspur. Ccdcarius pictus. 



Range.— Breeds in Hudson Bay and Mackenzie River districts and winters 



south to Texas chiefly on the Plains. 



This species is of the size of the last hut is a rich buff color 

 below, and the other markings are very different. These birds 

 together with the next species are very common on the prairies 

 in central United States in winter. They nest on the ground 

 like the preceding species but the nests are scantily made of 

 grasses and not warmly lined like those of the last. The eggs 

 are similar but paler; size .80 x .GO. Data.— Herschell Island, 

 Arctic Ocean, Tune 10, 1001. Nest built in a tuft of grass; 



made of fine roots and grass, lined with feathers. Collector, Rev. I.O. Stringer. 



538. Chestnut-colldred Longspur. Ccdrarius ornatui^. 



Range.— Plains in the interior of North America, breeding from Kansas north 

 to Saskatchewan; very abundant in the Dakotas and Montana. 



This handsome species in the breeding plumage has the _ -- .::^ 



throat white, breast and belly black, and a chestnut collar on 

 the nape. They are one of the most abundant breeding birds 

 on the prairies, nesting in hollows on the ground either in the 

 open or protected by a tuft of grass. The nests are made of 

 grasses and sometimes moss; three or four eggs laid in June or 

 July; white, blotched, lined and obscurely marked with brown 

 and purplish; size .75 x .55. 



539. McCown LongsDur. Rhijnrhophanes mrcou-nii. 



Range. — Great Plains, Itreeding from Kansas to the Saskatchewan. 



This Longspur which breeds in company with the preced- 

 ing, throughout its range, can be distinguished from it by the 

 small black patch on the breast, the black crown, and chest- 

 nut wing coverts. Their nesting habits are the same, and at 

 this season all the Longspurs have a sweet song often uttered 

 during flight, like that of the Bobolink. Theireggs are of the 

 same size and similarly marked as the last, but the ground 

 color is more gray or olive. 



540. Vesper Sparrow. Pocecetes gramineus. 



Range.— Eastern United States, breeding from Virginia and Missouri north to 

 Manitoba and New Brunswick; winters inthe southern half of the United States. 



A streaked grayish, buffy and white bird distinguished by 

 its chestnut shoulders and white outer tail feathers. They are 

 abundant birds in eastern fields where their loud piping whis- 

 tle is known to many frequenters of weedy pastures. They 

 build on the ground, either in grassy or cultivated fields, lin- 

 ing the hollow scantily with grasses. Their four or five eggs 

 are usually laid in May or June; they aredull whitish, blotched 

 and splashed with light thrown and lavender tints; size .80x.60. 



540a. Western Vesper Sparrow. Pcxrcctcs gramineus (■onfinis. 



Range. — This paler variety is found in North America west of the Plains and 

 south of Saskatchewan. 



Its nesting habits are like those of the preceding and the eggs are indistin- 

 guishable. 



540b. Oregon Vesper Sparrow. Pocecetes gramineus at'fi it is. 



A browner variety found on the coast of Oregon and northern California. 



Its nesting habits are like those of the eastern bird and the eggs similar but 

 averaging a trifle smaller. 



[Grayish white.] 



[Whitish.] 



