126 THE WESTERN TREE SPARROW. 



tipped with wiiitc, {(irmiiii;- two conspicuous bands; flight feathers and rectrices 

 grayish (hisky margined with whitish and huffy. Hill blackish above, yellow, 

 tipped with dusky, below; legs brown, feet darker; iris brown. /;; winter the 

 cinnamon-rufous of crown is slightly veiled, especially along median area, by 

 ashy skirtings of feathers, and the huffy of upperparts inclines to strengthen. 

 Length about fi.oo (132.4); wing 3.00 (76); tail 2.68 (68); bill .39 (10); 

 tarsus .82 ( 20. S t. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size; resembles Western Chipping Sparrow 

 but much larger ; white wing-bars with chestnut of crown distinctive. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. "Nest, in low bushes or on the 

 ground, hiosely constructed of bark strips, weeds and grasses, warmly lined with 

 feathers. Eijijs. 4-(), or even 7, pale green, minutely and regularly sprinkled with 

 reddish lirown s[)0ts" (Coues). Av. size, .75 x .60 (19.1x15.2). 



General Range. — Breeding from the valley of Anderson River, near the 

 Arctic coast westward thru Alaska to coast of Bering Sea, and for an unde- 

 termined distance southward ; in winter south thru western North America to 

 Arizona, Texas, etc., eastward across Rocky Mts. to Great Plains (Ridgway). 



Range in Washington. — Not common winter resident and migrant. Has 

 not recently been reported west of the Cascades. 



Authorities. — Brewster, T'.nll. Nutt. Orn. Club, VH. 1882, pp. 227, 228. 

 (T). (C&S). Sr. D--. 



Specimens. — ( L'. of W.). P". I'rov. 



"THE sight of the first Tree Sparrow in the fall serves perfectly to 

 call up a vision of impending winter. Here are the lun'r\ing blasts, the 

 leaden skies, the piling snow-drifts, all read}* to make the beholder shiver. 

 But here, too, in some unburied weed patch, or thicket of rose-briars, is a 

 companv of Tree Sparrows, stout-hearted and cold-def\ ing, setting up a 

 merry tinkling chorus, as eloquent of good cheer as a crackling- Yule-log. 

 How manv times has the bird-man hastened out after some cruel cold snap, 

 thinking, 'Siu'ely this will settle for my Itirds,' only to have his fears rebuked 

 by a troop of these hardy Norsemen revelling in some back pasture as if they 

 had found their Valhalla on this side the icy gates. Ho! brothers! here is 

 food in these capsules of mustard and cockle; here is wine distilled from 

 the rose-hips ; here is shelter in the weedy mazes, or under the soft blanket 

 of the snow. What ho! Lift the light song! Pass round the cup again! 

 Let mighty cheer ])revail !" ( P>irds of Ohio). 



Truth to tell, the Western Tree i^parrows are somewhat rare winter 

 visitors, in eastern ^Vaslling■ton only. In habits they do not appear to differ 

 materiallv fn.ni the tvpical form, which is very alxindant in winter thruout 

 the northern tier of eastern states. In the nature of the case, while with us, 

 their food, consisting as it does of grass- and weed-seeds and dried berries, 

 is found near the ground; and so, for the season, the name Tree S])arrow 

 seems inconsistent. AAHien persistent! v annoyed, however, the flock will rise 



