1434 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part b 



Stephens' Fox Sparrow (P. i. stephensi) 



Range. — Southern California. 



Breeding range. — The Stephens' fox sparrow breeds in the southern 

 Sierra Nevada of California (from Kings River southward) and in the 

 high mountains of southern California (Mount Pinos, San Gabriel, 

 San Bernardino, and San Jacinto mountains). 



Winter range. — Winters at lower elevations in southern California 

 (Santa Barbara, Hollywood, Claremont). 



MELOSPIZA LINCOLNII LINCOLNII (Audubon) 



Lincoln's Sparrow 



plate 73 



Contributed by J. Murray Speirs and Doris IIuestis Speirs 



Harits 



Those who know the Lincoln's sparrow no doubt think of it as the 

 little bird that is "afraid of its own shadow," or perhaps as the sparrow 

 that sings like a house wren, or again perhaps, as the bird that looks 

 so like an immature swamp sparrow that experts often hesitate to 

 identify it. If you have not yet met the elusive Lincoln's sparrow 

 this will serve as an introduction to some of its most noteworthy 

 characteristics. 



Audubon (1S34) tells how this species came by its name. 



We had been in Labrador nearly three weeks before this Finch was discovered. 

 One morning while the sun was doing his best to enliven the gloomy aspect of the 

 country, I chanced to enter one of those singular small valleys here and there to be 

 seen. The beautiful verdure of the vegetation, the numerous flowers that grew 

 sprinkled over the ground, the half-smothered pipings of some frogs, and the 

 multitudes of mosquitoes and flies of various sorts, seemed to belong to a region 

 very different from any that I had previously explored. But if the view of this 

 favoured spot was pleasing to my eye, how much more to my ear were the sweet 

 notes of this bird as they came thrilling on my sense, surpassing in vigour those 

 of any American Finch with which I am acquainted, and forming a song which 

 seemed a compound of those of the Canary and Wood-Lark of Europe. I imme- 

 diately shouted to my companions, who were not far distant. They came, and 

 we all followed the songster as it flitted from one bush to another to evade our 

 pursuit. No sooner would it alight than it renewed its song; but we found more 

 wildness in this species than in any other inhabiting the same country, and it 

 was with difficulty that we at last procured it. Chance placed my young com- 

 panion, THOMAS LINCOLN, in a situation where he saw it alight within shot, 

 and with his usual unerring aim, he cut short its career. On seizing it, I found 

 it to be a species which I had not previously seen; and supposing it to be new, I 

 named it Tom's Finch, in honour of our friend LINCOLN, who was a great 

 favourite among us. 



