1921 



BIRDS OF MONTANA 



123 



1912, and May 22, 1913 (Bailey, MS) ; Missoula, April 19 (Kittredge, MS). Fall 

 dates: Columbia Falls, October 7, 1893 (Cooke, 1909c, p. 258); Bozeman, Sep- 

 tember 13, 1908; ^Missoula, September 23 (Kittredge, MS). 



Nesting takes place mainly in June and July, and there are usually two 

 l)roods. There are not many published dates of nesting. The earliest date 1 

 can find for eggs is May 28, in Custer County (Cameron, 1908a, p. 11). Young 

 have been seen out of the nest June 17 and 24 at Missoula (Kittredge, MS). I 

 found numerous nests on Pipestone Creek, Jefferson County, in June, 1910, in 

 which the eggs hatched almost uniformly about June 20. The latest nest on 

 record contained eggs July 15, in Custer County (Cameron, 1908a, p. 11). Cam- 

 eron lists the bird in Custer County as the eastern race, but recent examination 

 of four birds from Miles City (Hedges, coll. Univ. ^lontana) by Dr. Bishop 

 shows them to be of the western race. 



Fig. 26. Wester X Chipping Sparrow on 



XEST. PiPESIONE BASIN, JEFFERSON 



County; June 16, 1910. 



235. Spizella pallida (Swainson) 



Clay-colored Sparrow 



A common summer resident in the prairie region of the eastern part of the 

 state. Not known to occur west of the true prairies. It is reported by all ob- 

 servers in this eastern section, and its western limits in Montana are evidently 

 about Yellowstone County at the south, Fergus County in the middle, and Teton 

 County at the north. It breeds in most places in sage brush, but in regions 

 where sage does not occur, as in Cascade and Teton counties, it occurs in areas 

 of shrubby cinquefoil, buffalo berry and other prairie shrubs. 



Migrations take place in ^lay and September. Tiie average of two years' 

 arrival at Terry is May 17, the earliest May 16, 1905. At Great Falls the aver- 

 age of three years is May 24 and earliest May 16, 1891 (Cooke, 1909c, p. 259). 



