1438 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part 3 



by the scattering of rolled oats on the ground. On the nesting grounds 

 5 miles to the north, no Lincoln's sparrows were seen or heard singing. 

 However, on May 19 the sky cleared, the wand shifted to the south, the 

 temperature rose, and three males were heard singing. May 20 and 21 

 continued warm and 9 of the 10 nesting territories under special 

 study were occupied by singing males. 



Roland C. Clement, who has observed the species in the interior of 

 Quebec and Labrador during the breeding season writes us (in litt.) : 



"The birds are shy or wary, and though they sing well enough when 

 the frequent rains and wind abate, they are difficult to see. In 

 1957 I heard the first song in the Knob Lake region on May 31st. 

 In 1945 I found a few birds at Indian House Lake (lat. 56° N.), 

 where arrival was as late as June 19. This bird is much more common 

 in that Canadian Zone pocket which is the Goose Bay region in New- 

 foundland Labrador. The species arrived there on May 30, 1944, 

 and occupied alder runs or brushy brook borders near bogs." 



Courtship. — At Dorion, Ontario, in 1957, we noted courtship be- 

 havior from May 28 to June 5, chiefly in mid-morning from 8:00 to 

 10:30 a.m. The birds were nest building. 



In most cases the female appeared to take the initiative by crouch- 

 ing, fluttering her wings in the fashion of a baby bird begging for 

 food, and uttering a special, excited, high-pitched, rather hoarse "dzee- 

 dzee-dzee" note, very similar to notes song sparrows and swamp 

 sparrows utter when inviting copulation. On June 9, 1956, a case was 

 observed when a male appeared to take the initiative. He flew from 

 a low stump to a small dogwood at the foot of a spruce, quivering 

 his wings and "tif'ing excitedly. Launching forth over a bit of 

 meadow, he planed gradually toward the ground and pounced on his 

 mate, who rose from the grass apparently in anticipation of the 

 pounce, just before he came to ground. In most cases the "dzzee- 

 dzee-dzee" invitation of the female seemed sufficient to stimulate 

 the male, but if this failed she might resort to slow, labored, fluttering 

 flight inviting pursuit by her spouse. Pairs were seen to copulate 

 on the ground, on brushpiles, on a picnic table, on a sign. One of 

 our notes reads: "The mating took place about two feet off the 

 ground along an alder branch which was in tiny leaf." 



The male's behavior is very much as Margaret M. Nice (1937) 

 describes for the song sparrow: Lincoln's sparrow males "pounce" 

 on their mates in much the same manner, although in most cases 

 observed, they were encouraged to do so only after special vocal and 

 behavioral invitations by their mates. After copulating the male 

 quite frequently sang, sometimes while on the wing immediately 

 after flying up from the female, at other times from a nearby branch. 



