BIRDS OF KANSAS. 457 



This western form does not noticeably differ in any of its 

 habits or actions from the more eastern bird, the White-crowned. 

 Eggs, .86x. 60. 



Zonotrichia albicoUis (Gmel,). 



WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 

 PLATE XXVIII. 



Migratory; common in the eastern part of the State. The 

 bulk arrive and depart in April; return in October, often re- 

 maining until about the last of November, and may occasionally 

 winter. 



B. 349. R. 209. C. 3T5. G. 105, 226. U. 558. 



Habitat. Eastern temperate I^orth America, breeding from 



the northern United States northward; west to the edge of the 



Great Plains, casually Utah; wintering from about latitude 37° 



southward. 



Sp. Char. Back rusty brown, or chestnut, streaked with blackish; chin and 

 upper throat white, abruptly contrasted with ash gray of lower throat and chest; 

 sides of forehead yellow. Adult: Top of head with a narrow grayish white 

 median and two broad black lateral stripes; superciliary stripe bright yellow 

 (black to above eye), the rest whitish. Immature: Superciliary and median 

 crown stripes dull bufty or light brownish, the former more or less distinctly 

 yellowish anteriorly; lateral crown stripes dark brownish; ash gray of ear cov- 

 erts and chest obscured by brownish. Young: Broad lateral crown stripes dull 

 Vandyke brown; narrow median stripe dull whitish or pale brownish; supercil- 

 iary stripe dirty brownish white, scarcely, if at all, yellowish anteriorly; throat 

 not distinctly whitish, and chest dirty brownish white streaked with dusky. 

 {Bidgicay.) 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 6.60 9.65 3.10 3.10 .85 .45 



Female... 6.35 9.20 2.90 2.90 .85 .45 



Iris brown; bill brown, with base of under light blue; legs 

 and feet reddish brown; claws dark brown. 



This well known species inhabits the woodlands, hedges and 

 thickets, usually associating together in small flocks, except dur- 

 ing the mated season. They feed largely upon fallen seeds, 

 which they pick up from the ground, often scratching among 

 the leaves. Their food consists also of small berries and insect 

 life. They are rather timid, and when startled dive into the 

 thickest growth within reach, but quickly fly back, as if forget- 

 ful of the scare. They seldom perch above the lower branches 



