WESTERN BIRDS Sparrow 



northern New York; and on the west coast in the Cas- 

 cade, Sierra Nevada, and Rock Mountains to southern 

 California (mostly from 7,000 to 9,000 feet), and north- 

 ern New Mexico ; wintering from San Jacinto Mountains, 

 California, southern Oklahoma, and northern Missis- 

 sippi, south; casual only east of the Allegheny Moun- 

 tains, south of Washington, D. C. 



J. Dwight, Jr., says of this bird's vocal powers: "Some- 

 times venturing timidly to the outer boughs of a spruce, 

 he surprises the hearer with a most unsparrowlike song. 

 It is not loud, and suggests the bubbling, guttural notes 

 of the House Wren, combined with the sweet rippling 

 music of the Purple Finch, and when you think the song 

 is done there is an unsuspected aftermath. The bird 

 sings very little and at long intervals, and is seldom 

 heard during the later hours of the day, ceasing at once 

 if anybody approaches." 



On the west coast from western Washington, migrating 

 to California in winter, is found the Forbush Sparrow 

 (M.l. striata) which is similar to the preceding species, 

 differing chiefly in having upper parts more of an olive 

 cast with the black markings coarser and more nu- 

 merous. 



GENUS PASSERELLA: FOX SPARROW. 



Fox Sparrow: Passerella iliaca iliaca. 

 FAMILY— FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



The Fox Sparrow is one of our reddest and largest 

 members of the family, the resemblance of his color to 

 the animal giving him his name. 



It is a bird of the far north, where it builds its home, 

 being seen in our country chiefly as a spring and fall 

 migrant, but wintering from lower Ohio and Potomac 



197 



