1.30 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 14 



Larbon County in the south (Thomas, MS). Tliis species is repoi-ted by all ob- 

 servers in mountainous i)arts of the state, but the form breeding west of the 

 mountains is in doubt, and is probably merrilli instead of montana. 



Migrations take place in late March or April, in the spring, and pi'ohjibly 

 during October in the fall. At Columbia Falls the average arrival is .March 21, 

 the earliest March 19, 1896. At Great Falls the average is April 8, and the 

 earliest March 27. 1887 (Cooke, 1911, p. 68). The only other dates 1 have ob- 

 tained are from Silver Bow County, .March 31, 1910 (Saunders, 1912a, p. 29^. 

 and from Corvallis, .Alarch 11, 1912, and October 4, 1911 (Bailey, MS). The 

 latter two dates refer to specimens definitely identified as montana, but the 

 Columbia Falls dates given above may belong to merrilli. In other localities it 

 is hard to get migration dates because of the number of birds that winter. I 

 have found this species in winter in Gallatin, Park and southern Lewis ami 

 (lark counties, and it lias l)ecn repoi'ted, with subspecies [)erhaps doubtful, at 

 .Missoula (Kittredge, 1916, p. 39). 



The nesting probably takes place in late ^lay and June, but records of the 

 nesting have not been published. All that 1 have pertains to a nest and four 

 eggs found at Ilomestake, Jefferson County, June 22, 1910. This is evidently a 

 later date than the average for eggs, as young are usually seen after the middle 

 of June. 



246. Melospiza melodia juddi Bisho]) 



Dakota Song Sparrow 



A summer resident in the vicinity of Miles City, and probably in other 

 l^arts of extreme eastern Montana. A series of specimens taken by Mr. C. F. 

 Hedges has recently been examined by Dr. Bishop, and compared with birds 

 from the type locality in his collection. They are entirely typical of juddi. The 

 series includes nine birds in the University of Montana collection, most of them 

 taken between April 3 and ]\Iay 3, 1900, and 1902, one taken February 17, 1900, 

 and three juveniles, taken August 3 and 10, and September 27, 19()(;. In addi- 

 tion, there are ten birds taken at various dates between July 20 and August 

 24, 1919, including adults and juveniles of both sexes. This bird has not been 

 found nesting, but the occurrence of juveniles in Aagust leaves Imrdly any 

 doiiI)t that it does so. The Fcbrnaiy date indicates that the Dakota Song Snai'- 

 row sometimes winters, though this wintci- bird is not (|uitc as typical of the 

 race as others. 



A specimen taken April 16, ISS!). and rcfei'rcd to melodia (Tliornc, 1895, p. 

 217) probably also belongs to this i-ace, as Thome's list was pu))lislic<l before 

 juddi was described. The fact that Thorne took but a single bird, and that 

 Cameron did not find it at all. would seem to indicat" that it is rai-c. On this 

 point, however, ]\[r. Hedges writes as follows: "I do not find it so. While it is 

 not abundant, one may see or hear it in spring or fall in suitable places, sm-ii 

 as brushy draws containing watt'i', ami i-iver bottoms containing rose-brush aud 

 willow." It is possible that this species has increased in recent years or that its 

 range is slowly spreading westward from Dakota. 



