352 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



3.05-3.20. tail 2.78-3.09, bill .37-.41. Female : 

 length (skins) 5.40-6.20, wing- 2.85-3.15, taU 

 2.65-2.98, bUl .37-.41. 



Remarks. — The absence of a continuous 

 stripe on the side of the throat is enough to 

 distinguish the sage sparrow from the Bell. 



Distribution. — Breeds on sagebrush plains 

 of Upper Sonoran zone from Oregon and Idaho 

 south to California and New Mexico ; winters 

 in western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and 

 southern California. 



Nest. — In sage and other low bushes, made 



largely of fine shreds of sagebrush bark and 



Fig. 439. Sage Sparrow. dried grass stems. Eggs : 3 or 4, greenish 



white or dull grayish white, speckled, chiefly 



around larger end, with reddish brown, mixed with a few darker markings. 



As Amphispiza hilineata is the bird of the creosote and mesquite 

 deserts of the Lower Sonoran zone, so nevadensis is one of the most 

 characteristic birds of the sagebrush deserts of the Upper Sonoran. 

 He is indeed well named, for you find him everywhere throughout 

 the sagebrush valleys of the Great Basin. His soft gray tones and 

 faint streakings blend in well with the gray green brush. As he sits 

 on top of the tallest bushes his long black tail and its gently tilting 

 motion are good long range recognition marks. 



Most of the year the birds are silent, but during the breeding sea- 

 son the sagebrush fairly rings with their simple but exquisitely 

 sweet song. Vernon Bailey. 



GENUS PEUCJE3A. 

 General Characters. — Similar to Aimophila, but edge of wing yellow. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Upper parts ashy, back spotted and barred with sandy brown. 



cassini, p. 352. 

 1'. Upper parts gray, streaked with dull rufous and spotted with black. 



botterii, p. 352. 



576. Peucsea botterii (Sdat.). Botteri Sparkow. 



Adults. — Upper parts grayish, streaked with dull rufous and spotted 

 with black ; edge of wing yellow ; under parts plain dull huffy. Young : 

 upper parts buffy, streaked with dusky ; under parts huffy ; throat, chest, 

 and sides streaked. Male : length (skins) 5.10-6.35, wing 2.35-2.75, tail 

 2.65-2.78, bill .45-.50. Female : length (skins) 5.20-5.70, wing 2.30-2.68, 

 tail 2.22-2.-53, bill .43-.. 50. 



Distribution. — From southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley 

 in Texas south over the plateau of Mexico to Chiapas. 



Nest. — On or near the ground. Eggs : ( 1 set) 4, pure white. 



678. Peucsea cassini (Woodh.). Cassin Sparrow. 

 Adults. — Upper parts ashen, streaked with sandy brown; feathers of back 



