TEXAS BLACK-THROATED SPARROW 991 



July 29, when many immatiires were seen, apparently migrating south- 

 ward. There were no further records after August 1." 



Farther to the south, in the vicinity of San Antonio, Roy W. 

 QuilUn and Ridley Holleman (1918) remark that the black-throated 

 sparrow was "Fairly common over the entire county, but nesting only 

 where an abundance of prickly pear offers its favorite nesting site." 

 From observations made in the winter, Ludlow Griscom (1920) found 

 that the species disappeared ^^^th the first cold weather in that area. 



Ludlow Griscom and Maunsell S. Crosby (1926) consider the black- 

 throated sparrow a common permanent resident in the Browns\dlle 

 region of southern Texas, where it prefers the most arid habitat. 

 Herbert Friedmann (1925) elaborates that "This is a bird of the open 

 country, nesting in low, but very dense bushes. Its song is very remi- 

 niscent of that of the Song Sparrow, and is quite remarkable in its 

 volume for the size of the bird. The black-throated sparrow is an 

 early nester . . . ." S. Dillon Ripley (1919) reports that the species 

 "was singing and in breeding condition at Port Isabel as early as 

 March 11," 1946. H. Friedmann (1925, 1963) also notes that this 

 sparrow is parasitized by the brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater 

 ohscurus, in this area. 



In northeastern Mexico the breeding season seems to be somewhat 

 extended. George M. Sutton, Ohn S. PettingiU, and Robert B. Lea 

 (1942) found stub-tailed juveniles in early May near Monterrey, 

 Nuevo Le6n, and Dean Amadon and AUan R, Phillips (1947) observed 

 adults feeding fledged young near Saltillo, Coahuila, as late as 

 August 28. 



Distribution 



Bange.—The, Texas black-throated sparrow breeds, and is largely 

 resident, from central and central northern Texas (east of Pecos 

 River, San Angelo, Wayland) south to eastern Coahuila (Saltillo), 

 south central Nuevo Le6n (Linares), southern Tamaulipas (Magis- 

 catzln), and southern Texas (Rockport). 



Migration. — The data deal with the species as a whole. Early 

 dates of spring arrival are: New Mexico — Rio Grande VaUey, April 

 27. Arizona — Camp Verde, March 2. Utah — Kanab, April 15. 

 Wyoming — Laramie, April 27. Nevada — Mercury, March 18. 



Late dates of spring departure are: Texas — San Antonio, April 14; 

 Corpus Christi, April 5. 



Early date of fall arrival is: Texas — Austin, October 5. 



Late dates of fall departure are: Oregon — Harney County, July 15. 

 Nevada — Mercury, August 22. Utah — Kanab, August 24. Ari- 

 zona — Huachuca Mountains, September 30. 



Egg dates. — Texas: 101 records, March 20 to August 13; 51 records, 

 April 14 to May 20. 



646-737 — 68— pt. 2 26 



