THE WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 127 



to the tree-tiiiis in straggling fashion, ami there either await the withdrawal 

 of the intruder, or else make off at a good height. 



The song of the Tree Sparrow is sweet and tuneful, affording a 

 pleasing contrast to the nmnotonous ditty of the Western Chipping Sparrow. 

 Snatches of song may be heard, indeed, on almost any mild day in winter ; 

 but the spring awakening assures a more pretentious efTort. A common 

 form runs. SzCi.\'-Iio. S2vcct, szvcct, szvcct, with ni:>tes of a most flattering 

 tenderness. But we ma}' only guess at the bird's full powers, for the home- 

 making is in Alaska. 



No. 50. 



WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 



.A. O. U. Xo. 560 a. Spizella passerina arizon£e (Coues). 



Synonyms. — Chippy. H.\iR-BrKD. 



Description. — Adult: Crown bright chestnut: extreme forehead black with 

 ashy median line; a light ashy superciliary stripe: lore and postocular streak 

 black: underparts and sides of head and neck ashy gray, dullest on breast and 

 sides, clearest on throat wdiere nearly white : hind-neck and wings bluish ash, 

 the former more or less streaked with blackish ; back and scapulars light brown 

 ( isabella color) heavily streaked with black: wings and tail fuscous. Bill dark: 

 feet light: iris brown. Youiuj birds are streaked with dusky above and below 

 and lack the chestnut of crown. Length of adult males: 5.00-5.50 (127-139. 7) ; 

 wing 2.83 (y2) : tail 2.36 (60) : bill .39 (10) ; tarsus .67 (17). Females smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — \\'arl)ler size: chestnut crown and whitish superciliary 

 distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest: A compact or careless structure of tine twigs, grasses, and 

 (most commonly and often exclusively) rootlets, heavily lined with horse-hair: 

 placed in sage-bush, wild rose thicket or shrubbery, or else on horizontal branch 

 of apple tree or evergreen. Eggs: 3-5, usually 4, greenish blue speckled freely 

 or in narrow ring about larger end with reddish brown and black. Av. size, 

 .71 X .51 ( i(Sx 13). Season: .A]iril-July, usually May and June: two broods. 



General Range. — Western North .\merica from the Rockies to the Coast 

 breeding from the southern border of the United States north to the Yukon 

 \ alley in .Alaska, cast over the western provinces of Canada : south in winter to 

 .Afe.xico and Lower California. 



Range in Washington. — Common summer resident thruout the State chiefly 

 in settled ]iortions and more open situations. 



Migrations. — Spring: Yakima, Aiiril 12, icoo: Chelan. .April 24, 1896; 

 Tacoma, A])ril 12, T905, April 11. 1906. 



Authorities. — Spicella socialis Bonap. Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 

 1858. 473 part. (T). C&S. D'. Ra. D-\ Ss-\ Kk. J. B. E. 

 Specimens.— r. of \\^ P'. Prov. B. E. 



