THE NUTTALL SPARROW. 137 



lining of fine dead grass and horse-hair; measures externally 6 in. wide by 4 

 deep ; internally 2^^ wide by I deep. Eyys: 4 or 5, pale bluish white, profusely 

 dotted and spotted, or blotched, with varying shades of reddish brown. .A.v. size 

 .86 X .64 (2i.8x 16.3). Scasiin: Last week in April, and May 25-June 10; two 

 broods. 



General Range. — I'acific Coast district, breeding from Monterey, California, 

 to Fort Simpson, British Columbia ; south in winter to San Pedro Alartir 

 Mountains, Lower California. 



Range in Washington. — Of general distribution west of the Cascade 

 Mountains at lower altitudes: casually winter resident. 



Migrations. — Spring: March 25-April I. 



Authorities. — Z. qanibelii Gambel, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, 

 461. (T. ) C&S. L'.( ?) U. Rh. Kb. Ra. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens.— U. of W. P. B. BN. E. 



\\'HEX \-iiu enter a bit of shrul:>])er\' at the edge of town in May or 

 June, vour intrusion is almost sure to be c|nestioned Ijv a military gentleman 

 in a gray cloak witli black-and-white trimmings, ^'ciur Ijusiness ma_\' be 

 personal, not puljlic, but somehow voti feel as if the authority of the law had 

 been invoked, and that vou would better be careful bow you condtict yourself 

 in the ]3resence of this militarv person. L^suallv retiring, the Xuttall Siiarrow 

 courts exposure where the welfare of his family is in question, and a metallic 

 scolding note, ziuk. or d.cink. is made to do incessant service on such occasions. 

 A thorol}- aroused pair, worms in beak, and crests uplifted, may voice their 

 suspicions for half an hour from fir-tip and brusli-pile, without once dis- 

 closing the whereabouts of their young. 



Nuttall's Sparrow is the familiar spirit of l>rush-lots, fence tangles, berry 

 patches, and half-open situations in general. He is among the last to quit 

 tlie confines of the city before the advancing ranks of apartment bouses and 

 sky-scrapers, and be maintains stoutly any vantage ground of vacant lot, 

 disordered hedge-row, or neglected swamplet left to him. After the Rusty 

 Song Sparrow, be is perhaps the commonest Sparrow in western Washing- 

 ton — imquestionably so within tlie borders of settlement. 



As a songster this Sparrow is not a conspicuous success, altlKj be works 

 at his trade with commendable diligence. He chooses a prominent station, 

 such as the topmost sprig of a fir sapling, and holds forth at regular intervals 

 in a prosy, iterative ditty, from which the slight musical quality vanishes 

 with distance. Hee ho. dice wcc. dice zvce dice wccc and Hcc. xciidgc, 

 i-tcitdgc i-zi'itdgc i-wcccc are vocalized examples. The preliminary lice ho 

 is sometimes clear and sweet enough to prepare one's ear for the Vesper 

 Sparrow's strain, liut the succeeding syllables are tasteless, and the trill with 

 which the effort concludes has a wooden quality which we may overlook in 



