772 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 2 



(Jay * * *_ In central Alberta the rate corresponded with that in Michigan but 

 daylight is much longer there during the nesting season. 



The alarm note was a chip, sometimes single, but more often double, and if one 

 were near the nest, it became a very rapid chip-chip-chip-chip-chip, then re- 

 peated * * *. Another call heard from the blind as the female approached the 

 nest was a very low, barely audible, z-z-zz-z. The male uttered this same call at 

 one time when he circled over the nest and returned to his singing perch. Then 

 there was the song uttered twice on June 17, 1935, by the female on the nest as 

 the male sang nearby. This song was chit-chit-t-t-t-t and I have heard the Grass- 

 hopper Sparrow, both male and female, utter a song almost identical at the nest 

 in southern Michigan (Julj^ 1935). 



Enemies.— In some areas Le Conte's sparrow is subject to cowbird 

 parasitism. Peabody (1901) reported that 4 of the 14 nests he found 

 in Kittson County, Minn., in 1897 contained cowbird eggs. Friedmann 

 (1963) lists a few more records for Saskatchewan and Alberta. The 

 extent to which cowbird interference affects reproductive efficiency in 

 this species in unknown. 



While Le Conte's sparrow must certainly fall prey to hawks, owls, 

 and other predators, and its nests must surely be ravaged at times 

 by snakes, weasels, skunks, and foxes, no examples have been reported 

 in the literature. 



Fietd marks. — This small grassland sparrow of wet, weedy fields and 

 marshes is characterized by its buffy throat and underparts with 

 streaking confined to the sides, its buffy eyestripe, white crownstripe, 

 pinkish-brown nape, and heavily striped back. It may be confused 

 in the field mainly with the Savannah, grasshopper, sharp-tailed, and 

 Henslow's sparrows, which may occupy the same surroundings at 

 various times of the year. The Savannah is markedly larger and 

 lighter, and can be told in flight by its notched tail. The grasshopper 

 sparrow lacks the streaked sides and the sharp-tails the white median 

 crown stripe. The buffy underparts distinguish it from the lighter- 

 beUied Henslow's sparrow, which is also slightly larger and heavier 

 billed. 



Fall. — Le Conte's sparrow migrates through the central United 

 States in a general south-southeasterly direction in fall. In migration 

 it frequents the same type of habitat it prefers during the remainder 

 of the year. In Michigan the birds stop in the drier marshy areas 

 and at times may be seen sitting on top of grass or sedge spikes, or 

 even on a fence wire. While they may occasionally be found wander- 

 ing in the longer grasses of dry fields near the marshes, they favor the 

 wetter spots. 



While hunting prairie chickens in Richland County, III., Oct. 27 

 and 28, 1882, Robert Ridgway (1883) "was somewhat surprised to 

 see Leconte's Bunting there in great abundance; also Henslow's, 

 which, however, was less numerous. The locality where the Leconte's 

 Buntings were first observed consisted of a patch of 'open' prairie 



