1470 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 3 



rather fine grasses and contained 5 eggs in an advanced stage of incubation. As 

 the observer approached, the parent flew silently from the nest and did not 

 reappear during the 10 minutes he spent in the neighborhood. 



Eggs.— The measurements of 40 eggs average 19.1 by 14.5 milli- 

 meters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 20.6 by 15.2, 

 20.1 by 15.5, 17.8 by 13.7, and 18.0 by 13.2 millimeters. 



Young. — No account of the breeding biology of this form has ever 

 been published, but most aspects of it probably differ little if at all 

 from those of the nominate race. A. A. Saunders (1910) continues 

 his experiences with the species in Montana: 



Up to the time the young birds left the nest I never heard an alarm note of 

 any sort from the Lincoln Sparrows, but after that time, which took place about 

 June 25, one could not enter the willow thickets without being scolded from one 

 end to the other by these birds. We had a litter of young coyotes in camp, and 

 one Sunday they broke loose from their pen and led us quite a chase into a near-by 

 willow swamp, before they were finally captured. As soon as they entered the 

 swamp the Lincoln Sparrows, evidently recognizing a natural enemy, started 

 scolding in a manner that I have seldom heard equalled in any bird. While 

 helping to corner one of the coyotes, I notist a young Lincoln Sparrow running 

 ahed of me thru the grass and soon captured it. In general appearance and in 

 the manner in which it ran thru the grass this bird resembled, until actually 

 caught, a newly hatcht game-bird rather than a young sparrow. It was unable 

 to fly, but was very active at running and hiding in the tall grass. I took it to 

 camp and posed it on the end of a tent peg for its picture, after which I releast it 

 again in the swamp. 



Food. — As Gabrielson and Lincoln (1959) point out, "Little is 

 known about their food * * *. Nevertheless, it can be assumed to 

 consist of seeds similar to those utilized by other sparrows. It probably 

 also takes its share of such insects as are available during the summer 

 months." The latter observation is corroborated by Grinnell (1908) 

 who states that while camped in the San Bernardino Mountains in 

 late June "fully a dozen adults were seen, some carrying bills full of 

 insects and others singing a wheezy, incoherent song from the tips of 

 dead willow stalks. They were very secretive and kept pretty much 

 out of sight in the rank Veratrum patches and willow thickets." 



Voice. — R. T. Peterson (1941) states "Song, sweet and gurgling; 

 suggests both House Wren and Purple Finch; starts with low passages, 

 rises abruptly, drops." Dawson (1923) gives the following more 

 detailed account of his impressions of it in California: 



The song of the Lincoln Sparrow is of a distinctly musical order, being gushing, 

 vivacious and wren-like in quality, rather than lisping and wooden, as are so many 

 of our sparrow songs. Indeed, the bird shows a much stronger relationship in 

 song to the Purple Finch than it does to its immediate congeners, the Song 

 Sparrows. The principal strain is gurgling, rolling, and spontaneous, and the 

 bird has ever the trick of adding two or three inconsequential notes at the end of 

 his ditty, quite in approved Purple Finch fashion. Linkup, tinkup perly werly 

 willie willie weeee (dim.) says one; Riggle, jiggle, eel eet eer oor, another. Che willy 



