54 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Zonotrichia albicollis (GmeL) White - 

 throated Sparrow. Peabody Bird. 



An abundant migrant, in April and 

 May and again in October. As early 

 as 1879 Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown, 

 (Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. IV, 107), called 

 attention to the occurrence of this 

 bird in summer throughout Cumber- 

 land county, from at least Scarbor- 

 ough and Cape Elizabeth, in the 

 southwest. In this county its dis- 

 tribution is more general than that of 

 the Junco. In that part of the state 

 now allotted to the Canadian fauna it 

 breeds commonly both coastwise and 

 in the interior. 



Two instances of its occurrence in 

 winter have come to my notice, one 

 the long recorded instance given by 

 l3r. Joseph L. Goodale in the Auk of a 

 healthy male taken at Saco on Jan. 

 20th 1886, (Auk III, p 277). The 

 other instance has been reported by 

 Mr. W. H. Brownson (Portland Daily 

 Advertiser, Feb. 20, 1904), one staying 

 about the premises of Mr. Walter 

 Rich in Falmouth during the winter of 

 1904. 



Spizella monticoa (Gmel.). Tree 

 Sparrow. 



Of general distribution throughout 

 Maine, abounding during migrations, 

 and not infrequent through the win- 

 ter. At this inhospitable season, its 

 visits to houses could be encouraged 

 by placing chaff or bird seed in avail- 

 able places. 



Spizella socialis (Wils.). Chipping 

 Sparrow, Chippy, etc. 



Of general distribution abuudant in 

 many sections of the state, breeding 

 nearly everywhere that it occurs. 

 Being a bird of towns, it probably is 

 not numerous in the "wild lands" as 

 it certainly is not on the unsettled 

 islands of our coast. 



Spizella pusilla (Wils.) Field Spar- 

 row. 



A bird of local distribution, being 

 common in suitable localities, rare or 

 absent in others. In the Canadian 

 fauna it seems to be rare. When 

 found it is a bird of bushy pastures or 

 old fields, (which may be rocky), 

 breeding in low shrubbery, blueberry, 

 juniper and bramble. I found it to be 

 common at East Parsonfield in 1900, 

 and in June 25-28, 1901, detected its 

 presence in Shapleigh. Mr. W. H. 

 Brownson has found it breeding not 

 rarely at Cape Elizabeth. Two dis- 

 tinct colonies, one of several pairs are 



known in Westbrook, and its nest has 

 been found in Gorham. Colonies also 

 exist in Scarborough. 



Late in June, 1896, I detected the 

 presence of a small number in St. 

 George. This has already been re- 

 corded by Mr. Knight, ( Bd's. of Me. p. 

 100), together with data indicating its 

 presence near Lewiston, Bridgton, 

 Farmington, Gardiner, Norway and in 

 Waldo county, also at Corinth. 



At Norway it was regarded as 

 "Common" bV Prof. A. E. Verrill in 

 1862, (Proc. Essex. Inst. Ill p. 150). 

 This is not surprising as other Alle- 

 ghanian features occur in the vicinity 

 of Norway. 



Junco hyemalis (Linn.). Junco, Slate- 

 colored junco. Snow-bird, Blue Snow 

 Bird Blue Chip, etc. 



Occurs throughout the year, not 

 common through the winter, extreme- 

 ly abundant during migrations, com- 

 mon summer resident in a large part 

 of the state. Being a bird of the 

 Canadian fauna it does not breed in 

 much of the lower lands of south- 

 western Maine, yet it is a common 

 summer resident and breeds in part 

 of York county, being so found in 

 East Parsonfield in 1900, it was how- 

 ever confined to the highlands. 



Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown has fur- 

 nished an authentic record of isolated 

 instances of its breeding in suitable 

 localities in Scarborough and Cape 

 Elizabeth, (Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. IV, p. 

 107). 



In August, 1897, I found it breeding 

 quite commonly on little Johns 

 Island, Falmouth, Me. which is cov- 

 ered with spruce. From this point 

 the bird is common coastwise breed- 

 ing to our eastern boundary. It 

 abounds on many of the wooded 

 islands, both outer and nearer ones. 

 Matinicus belonging to the outer- 

 most group of Islands in the state, 

 deserves special mention as being the 

 home in summer of considerable 

 numbers of Juncos. 



While ground nests are not regard- 

 ed as furnishing beautiful examples of 

 bird architecture, nests of the Junco, 

 often stand high in this quality. 

 Sometimes placed under brush by 

 road side, often well under the side of 

 an inclined rock, or within a recess in 

 a steep ledge, they have been built of 

 fine grasses and well lined with cat- 

 tle's hair, the finish being so perfect 

 that they had a highly polished ap- 



