BIRDS OF KANSAS. 477 



the jugulum, breast and sides of body, conspicuously and sharply blotched with 

 fox red; more triangular across breast, more linear and darker on sides. Some- 

 times the entire head above is continuously reddish. First quill rather less than 

 fifth. Hind toe about equal to its claw. 



"In summer, the ash is more predominant above; iu winter, it is overlaid 

 more or less by a wash of rufous*, as described above." 



Iris brown; bill — upper dusky, with edges of the same and 

 lower mandible straw color; legs and feet dark flesh color; 

 claws brown. 



This large, plump, handsome Sparrow inhabits the tangled 

 thickets and sheltered ravines. It is largely terrestial in its 

 habits, and, like the Towhees, puts in most of its time scratch- 

 ing among the dead leaves for food, A rather timid bird, that 

 darts into the thickest growths at the least alarm, uttering, as it 

 starts, a sharp chup note. It also has a soft. Sparrow-like chip, 

 or call note, and occasionally utters a few low, soft, warbling 

 notes; but its charming love song is only heard during the 

 breeding season. It is rather short, but unsurpassed in melody 

 by any of the family. 



In the month of July, 1879, I found them breeding on Byron 

 Isle, one of the Magdalen group, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

 It was too late in the season for their eggs, as their young birds 

 were nearly full grown. From actions, I think the parent birds 

 were preparing to rear another brood, as the males were singing 

 almost constantly, from early morn till late at night; but their 

 song, so rich and silvery in its tone, was ever welcomed, and 

 never seemed tiresome, and I think they rank next to our 

 Thrushes and Wrens as songsters. 



Their nests are usually placed on the ground, in concealed 

 places, occasionally in bushes. Mr. Nelson, in his "Keport 

 upon Natural Historical Collections in Alaska," gives the fol- 

 lowing minute description of a nest and its eggs: 



"On June 5th, 1880, a pair was shot, in a thicket near St. 

 Michael's, and the nest secured. The nest obtained is a very 

 strong, compact structure, four and a half inches across by two and 



