WESTERN BIRDS Sparrow 



nestlings are fed at once with visible food, which I have 

 watched the old birds gather from the lawn, rather than 

 by regurgitation. 



The young usually stay in the nest about ten days, 

 but those in my pampas were usually taken by some cat, 

 despite my vigilance, before they were able to leave the 

 nest. Perhaps some day we shall succeed in getting our 

 cats licensed and the strays obliterated so that this trag- 

 edy of bird-eating may be lessened. 



These Sparrows have two or three broods a year and 

 in the fall my lawn is alive with them. It is interesting 

 to hear the youngsters trying to sing. A low, sweet, but 

 somewhat uncertain warble is given, sometimes as the 

 bird hops back and forth on the lawn hunting out the 

 seeds, or insect life. 



The Mountain Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia mon- 

 tana) ranges in the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada 

 region, breeding in the Transition Zone from eastern Ore- 

 gon, southern Idaho, and Montana to middle eastern 

 California and northern New Mexico; winters south to 

 western Texas and northern Mexico. 



Heermann's Song Sparrow (M. m. heermanni) is found 

 in the central valleys of California, principally San Joa- 

 quin and Sacramento valleys; in winter casually to 

 Nevada. 



Rusty Song Sparrow (M. m. morphna) is found in the 

 Pacific Coast belt, breeding from extreme southern 

 Alaska to southern Washington; winters south to south- 

 ern California. 



Santa Barbara Song Sparrow (M. m. Juddi) is found 

 on the Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz Islands, while the 

 San Clemente (M.m. clementse) inhabits San Clemente, 

 San Miguel, and Santa Rosa Islands, California. 



Merrill's Song Sparrow (M. m. merrilli) ranges 

 throughout the northwestern United States, breeding 

 from Fort Sherman, Idaho, west and south through 



195 



