74 



OEIS^ITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 5 



a j'oung Cottonwood sapling, a view of which 

 adorns tiic parade frround liere. The only p;iii' 

 seen, altliough probably more my fault tlian 

 the birds, as imu'e than likely they are fairly 

 common, but in my investigations tliiis far, I 

 have been putting in most of ray time on other 

 families. 



44. Pt'li'ctrophnnes nicnlis (Linn.), Nreyer. 

 Snow Bunting. A small flock of six appeared 

 on the first day of Marcli vvitli a heavy snow- 

 storm. This is the only record I linow of in 

 the county. 



46. PoatcK ijrdmincus coiitiiiis (Baird). West- 

 ern Grass Fiuoh. Very common, nesting abun- 

 dant on most of tlie mesas. Too well-known to 

 need further comment here. 

 47. CiitunticiilHSpasseriitiisjii'rpidliihit: ( Kidgw.) 

 Common during the spring migration, but have 

 never seen it after first of June. Where it 

 breeds I cannot say. Perhaps it ranges higher 

 for this purpose. It arrives here in small flocks 

 just as the snow is g(me. 



48. ClKindcstff: iprimmicii xlri(/iit.a (Sw.), 

 Western I/nk Finch. Tliis bird is reported to 

 me as occurring, but the authority is not to be 

 depended ujion. 1 have not met willi it myself, 

 but will say that it is possible it may breed 

 either a few miles south of Ft. Lewis or to tlie 

 east, as there are several localities suitable to 

 their habits in tliese directions. I do not think 

 it breeds above G,000 feet however, but south of 

 iiere twenty miles will bring one down to about 

 4,000 feet, where many of tlie birds winter, and 

 where snow is seldom seen except in ver^' 

 severe winters. 



49. Zdiwlrichia leucophrys (Forst.), Swains. 

 White-crowned Sparrow. Connnou in migra- 

 tion, but does not breed below 9,000 feet. Two 

 broods are raised at the altitude above given, 

 when they make a vertical migiation above 

 timber line, where they I'aise their second 

 brood. The nest is placed in bushes and four 

 eggs are laid. In Octobei', they again ap|)ear 

 in the vicinity of Fort Lewis, and in a couple of 

 weeks the last have gone. During migration, 

 every clump of bushes, fence, and cultivated 

 field is swarming with them. 



.50. tSpizt'lla montana (Forst.), Kidgw. Tree 

 Sparrow. The fli-st spari-ow to appear in spring, 

 arriving this year where there is a foot and a 

 half of snow. It feeds about the houses in 

 such a case. It cannot l)e called common how- 

 ever. It awaits good weather and then is oft' 

 for the north, appearing again in the fall, when 

 it lingers with us till quite late. 



51. Spizella donifstini arizono' (Coues.), 



Ridgw. Western Chipping Sparrow, common. 

 Breeds in scrub oak and other bushes, nesting 

 habits same as the eastern bird. 



52. Junro aikeni (Ridgw.) White-winged 

 Snowbird. Common during the winter, ap- 

 pearing with the first heavy snow, and stop- 

 ping through the winter in large flocks, or as 

 long as the snow lasts. The white of the 

 wings is variable, being hardly distinguishable 

 in some, while in others it is very conspic- 

 uous. 



53. Jiuiro annecte.us (Baird). Pink-sided 

 Snowbird. Not abundant, only seen in snuill 

 numbers, and only occasionally. 



54. Jiinco rorniccps (Woodh.), Baird. Gray- 

 headed Snowbird. Most abiuidant of all the 

 Juncos, breeds as high as 12,000 feet, raising 

 two broods. It is only in winter that it ranges 

 as low as Ft. Lewis. It appears here the last 

 of November and leaves last of April to the 

 first part of May, as the weather allows. 



55. Mehii'piza Jincolni (Aud.), Baird. Lin- 

 coln's Finch. I have not as yet taken this bird, 

 but local collectors report it. I enter it upon 

 such sources, because I see no reason why it 

 should not occur. 



5G. Pipilo mucidatns art lens (Swains), Coues. 

 Northern Towhee. Very abundant, arrives 

 early in March. Breeds in June or the last of 

 May. Reaches 7,000 feet. 



57. Pipilo marnlritus mnr/alonyx (Baird), Coues. 

 Spurred Towhee. As abundant as the last, but 

 while iivtirus prefers the mesas to place its nest, 

 this variety takes to the low bottoms along the 

 rivers and on side hills of the cannons and 

 gulches. 



58. Pipilo rhlorutnts (Towns.), Baird. Green- 

 tailed Towhee. Abundant aud breeds. A very 

 shy bird, and it is next to impossible to find its 

 nest, which is here placed on the ground in 

 clumps of scrub oaks. In finding nests of this 

 kind, I have trained a pointer dog for the pur- 

 pose, lie will scent a nest and point. I then 

 send him in to find it, which he does nine times 

 out of ten, but this kind of work unfits him for 

 any other kind of work, but he is worth more 

 than I paid for him in finding me eggs. I can 

 use him on all birds breeding in hushes and on 

 the ground. Were it not for him, I could not 

 find one in ten nests of P. rhlonints, as they 

 are hard to find even when you know yon have 

 the particular bush in which the nest is marked 

 down. The nest is generally concealed just 

 under a tuft of grass, or the dead oak leaves of 

 fhe year before are so arranged as to conceal 



