452 HISTORY OF THE 



alighting, as if endeavoring to draw me away from its nest. 

 Following it for a short distance, it circled several times around 

 a garter snake, which I killed, when the bird perched upon a 

 fence stake and filled the air with his grateful notes. I was 

 still more than ever convinced that the nest or young of the 

 bird was near, and commenced search. During my unsuccessful 

 search the bird disappeared. Returning to the spot where the 

 dead snake lay, I gave it a toss with my stick, which was imme- 

 diately followed by the reappearance of the bird, which exhibited 

 more anxiety than ever. It flew at the snake, which it seemed 

 to understand was now harmless, picked at and attempted to 

 drag it. Going to the spot, I found the nest, and the snake 

 partly coiled around it. Another toss, and I was again rewarded 

 with a song." 



Their harmless ways and rich, clear, varied song, unsurpassed 

 in continuity and melody by any of the family, makes their 

 presence welcome. They are easily tamed, and make desirable 

 cage birds. 



Their nests are usually placed in a depression in the ground, 

 but occasionally in low trees or bushes. They are composed of 

 branching stems of weeds and grasses, and lined with fine grass, 

 rootlets and horse hairs. Eggs four or five, .80x. 65 (they vary 

 much in size); grayish white, with a few fine spots and zigzag 

 lines of blackish brown, usually thickest around the larger end; 

 in form, rather rounded oval. 



Genus ZONOTRICHIA Swaikson. 



"Body rather stout. Bill conical, slightly notched, somewhat compressed, 

 excavated inside; the lower mandible rather paler than the upper; gonys 

 slightly convex; commissure nearly straight. Feet stout; tarsus rather longer 

 than middle toe; the lateral toes very nearly equal. Hind toe longer than the 

 lateral ones; their claws just reaching to base of middle one. Inner claw con- 

 tained twice in its toe proper; claws all slender and considerably curved. Wings 

 moderate, not reaching to the middle of the tail, but beyond the rump; seconda- 

 ries and tertials equal and considerably less than longest primaries; second and 

 third quills longest; first about equal to the fifth, much longer than tertials. 

 Tail rather long, moderately rounded; the feathers not very broad. Back 

 streaked. Eump and under parts immaculate, except in young. Head black,, 

 or with white streaks, entirely different from the back." 



