380 Birds of Colorado 



the ground and concealed with care and cunning, only 

 the smallest aperture being left for the entrance and 

 exit of the bird ; it is generally placed under the shelter 

 of some shrub or among its roots, under which a slight 

 excavation in made ; it is constructed of coarse grass, 

 lined with finer material, and sometimes hair or feathers 

 as well." The eggs are four or five in number ; they 

 are white or faint whitish-green, finely speckled with red, 

 which becomes thicker at the larger end, but the amount 

 of red freckling varies a good deal even with eggs from 

 the same clutch. They measure about *83 x '60. 



Red-backed Junco. Junco dorsalis. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 570a — Colorado Records — Morrison 89, p. 38 ; 

 Cooke 97, p. 106. 



Description. — Very similar to J. canicepa, but the patch on the back 

 is of a darker and richer shade of chestnut-brown, and the under-parts 

 are much paler grey throughout ; the bill is larger, and the upper 

 mandible blackish instead of yellow. Length 5-80; wing 3-20; 

 tail 3 05 ; cuhnen -48 ; tarsias -80. 



Distribution. — Breeding on the high mountains of New Mexico and 

 Arizona ; southwards in winter to northern Mexico and western 

 Texas. 



Morrison found a large flock of this Junco on the banks of La 

 Plata River in the extreme south-west corner of Colorado, in the spring 

 of 1887. This is the only record for the State, but as it is common 

 in Arizona and New Mexico, it is probably not infrequent in the southern 

 part of Colorado ; its similarity to J. canicepa has doubtless caused it 

 to be overlooked. 



Three intermediate forms must be here mentioned, 

 each of which seems to connect two comparatively well 

 characterized species. They may be regarded as inter- 

 grades between what are not really true distinct species 

 or as simple hybrids. They have all three been described 

 under distinct names : — 



Junco connectena = J. hyemalia x J. ahufeldti. 



Junco hiemalia connectena Coues, Key N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed., 



p. 378 (1884). 



