Grey-headed Junco 379 



feathers of the latter white, the third pair partly white and dusky ; 

 iris brown, bill pale pinkish in life, dusky at tip, legs horn-brown. 

 Length 610 ; wing 3-35 ; tail 305 ; cuhnen -40 ; tarsus -75. 



The female resembles the male, but is smaller — wing about 3.0 ; 

 a young bird is dull greyish-white on the head and neck and below, 

 while the back is a duller shade of the adult chestnut ; the head, back, 

 throat and breast are all streaked with blackish ; the streaking is lost 

 by the first winter, when it is essentially like the adult. 



Distribution. — Breeding in the moimtains of southern Wyoming, 

 south through Colorado, Utah and Nevada to northern New Mexico, 

 wintering in lower levels in the mountains and in the foothills, and 

 south to northern Mexico. 



In Colorado the Grey-headed Jimco is a resident, breeding every- 

 where in the mountains from about 7,500 feet (MagnoUa, Boulder co., 

 Sprague apud Cooke, 97) to timber line (Trippe). It winters in sheltered 

 spots at lower elevations in the mountains, but is chiefly met with 

 in the plains on the spring migration ; nearly all Mr. Aiken's series 

 from near Colorado Springs were obtained in March and April. 



The following are some breeding records : Columbine Lake, Grand co., 

 9,000 feet (Rockwell), Estes Park (McGregor), Boulder co., 9,500 to 

 10,000 feet (D. Gale) ; near Hancock (Stone) ; Pikes Peak and Mount 

 Fisher, near Trinidad (Aiken), Wet Mountains (Lowe) ; Mesa co. 

 (Rockwell), San Juan co. (Drew), while it has been taken by Aiken 

 on the plains at Resolis in Elbert co. (Drew), fifty miles from the moun- 

 tains, as late as May 25th, and at Fort Lyon by Captain Thome. 



Habits. — ^The Grey-headed Junco is not commonly 

 seen near Colorado Springs with flocks of the other 

 species during winter ; it seems to keep by itseK and to 

 remain at somewhat higher elevations, but in March and 

 April it becomes abundant, arriving from the south and 

 gradually moving up into the mountains to nest. Aiken 

 (75) was the first to describe the nest and eggs of this 

 species, but many observers have done so since. Fresh 

 eggs are to be met with from the end of May till late 

 in July, and there seems to be no reasonable doubt that 

 two or three broods are raised in the season. Gale 

 found a great many nests near Gold Hill, and the fol- 

 lowing is taken from his notes on the subject : '* Nests 

 on the ground, and is fond of selecting sheltered places 

 such as the side of a hill or bank ; the nest is well set in 



