586 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



malis does in the Eastern States. Dr. Cooper states it to be a very common 

 Lird in 'Waslungton Territory, especially in tlie winter, wlien it comes about 

 the Iiouses and i'arms with precisely the same habits as the common Atlantic 

 species. In tlie summer it is seen about Puget Sound, in whicli neighborhood 

 it breeds. He met with young fledglings as early as May 24. At that season 

 tliey were not gregarious, and were found principally about the edges of woods. 



Mr. Iiidgway also regards the western Snowbird as, in all appreciable 

 respects, an exact counterpart of the eastern hi/emalis. In summer he found 

 it inhabiting the pine woods of the mountains, but in winter descending to 

 the lowlands, and entering the towns and gardens in the same manner with 

 the eastern species. 



Dr. Cooper states this species to be numerous in winter in nearly every 

 part of California. In tlie summer it resides among the mountains down to 

 the 32d parallel. On the coast he has not determined its residence farther 

 south than Monterey. The coolness of that locality, and its extensive for- 

 ests of pines extending to the coast, favor the residence of such birds during 

 the summer. At San Diego he observed them until the first of April, when 

 they retired to the neighboring mountains. A few also were found in the 

 Colorado Valley in the winter. On the Coast Mountains south of Santa 

 Clara lie found them breeding in large numbers in IMay, 1864. One nest 

 contained young, just ready to fly, as early as May 13. Tliis was built in a 

 cavity among the roots of a large tree on a steep bank. It was made of 

 leaves, grasses, and fine root-fibres. On the outside it was covered with an 

 abundant coating of green moss, raised above the surface of the ground. Tlie 

 old birds betrayed the ])resence of the nest by tlieir extreme anxiety. On 

 the 20th he found another nest on the very summit of the mountains, sup- 

 posed to be a second laying, as it contained but three eggs. It was slightly 

 sunk in the ground under a fern, and formed like the other, but with less 

 moss around its edge. It was lined with cows' and horses' hair. Tlie eggs 

 were l)luisli-wliite, with blackish-brown spots of various sizes thicldy sprin- 

 kled around the larger end, and measuring .74 by .60 of an inch. 



The only song Dr. Cooper noticed, of this species, was a faint trill much 

 like that of the Spizdla socialii, delivered from the to)i of some low tree in 

 March and Ajiril. At other times they ha\ e only a .sharp call-note, liy which 

 they are distinguishable from other Sparrows. While some migrate far to 

 tlie south in winter, others remain as far north as tlie Columbia Hiver, fre- 

 quenting, in large numbers, the vicinity of barns and houses, especially when 

 the snow is on the ground. They raise two broods in a season. 



Dr. Coues found this species a very common winter resident in Arizona, 

 arriving at Foi't Whipple about October 10, soon becoming very abundant, 

 and continuing so until the second week in April. Stragglers were seen until 

 May 10. 



Dr. Woodhouse also observed numbers of the western Snowbird on the 

 San Francisco Mountains, in the month of October, where they were very 



