356 Birds of Colorado 



timber line ; it is most common on migration in the plains, and nests 

 most abundantly between about 7,000 to 9,000 feet. Gale took it at 

 11,000 feet on Bald Mountain, September 15th, 1888. It reaches 

 southern Colorado early in April and the mountain parks a little later. 

 The following are dates : Pueblo, April 4th (Lowe), La Plata co., April 

 3rd (Oilman), Mesa co., mid April till October (Rockwell), El Paso cc, 

 April 9th (Aiken), Sulphur Springs, April 26th (Warren, 08), Idaho 

 Springs, early May (Trippe). It leaves in October — the latest I have is 

 October 6th (Sapanero Creek, Gunnison co., Warren). 



Habits. — ^The Western Vesper-Sparrow frequents open 

 country where there are few bushes, and is fond of 

 cultivated fields, the valleys of the larger streams in the 

 mountains and grassy hill-sides ; it has a good variety 

 of songs, some of them very sweet, and sings late in the 

 evening, whence its name. The nest is placed on the 

 ground, usually in an open field, clear of any shelter ; 

 it is constructed of dried grass-stalks rather loosely 

 put together, and Hned with a little horsehair or other 

 finer material. 



Freshly laid eggs are found as early as the beginning 

 of May in the south, but not generally till the beginning 

 of June in the north of the State, and perhaps later still 

 in the mountains, but a second brood is sometimes 

 raised. The eggs are greyish or greenish-white, blotched 

 and spotted with reddish and purphsh-brown. The 

 brooding hen sits very close, and does not flush till 

 nearly trodden on. 



Genus PASSER CULUS. 



Rather small terrestrial. Sparrow-like Finches — wing imder 3-0 — 

 with small, conical bills and exposed nostrils ; wings short, but still 

 exceeding the tail and tarsus combined ; less pointed than in PocBcetes, 

 the difference between the primaries and secondaries far less than the 

 tarsus ; five outer primaries (ninth to fifth) more or less equal, the 

 fourth distinctly shorter ; tail nearly square about -65 length of wing, 

 the feathers rather narrow but not attenuated or pointed at the tip. 

 Plumage streaky, without white on the outer tail-feathers ; a yellow 

 superciliary stripe often present. 



