20 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 78. 



twenty days upon which the place was visited. Four of the 

 species were in sight at the same time on one day ; three were; 

 seen together on two days, and on other two days two were 

 in sight, while a single Leconte's Sparrow was seen on seven 

 days, making in all twelve days out of twenty upon which 

 they appeared The length of my daily visits varied from half 

 to a whole hour. The views of the birds w'ere not purely 

 transitory, but lasted from five minutes to nearly a half hour. 



The first one to be seen sat on a weed-top that raised itself 

 out of the slough grass. There the bird remained fully twenty 

 minutes, sometimes uttering its insect-like chirp. On several 

 days a bird sounded this note. If the sing'er was on the fence 

 nervous, wren-like jerks shook its body. At other times these 

 birds sat very quietly on grass-stem, weed-stalk or fence. 



The second Leconte's Sparrow was met on September 25. 

 I was standing quite near the fence when the sparrow alighted 

 on it about twenty feet away ; it visited a rag-weed, then re- 

 turned to the fence, this time no farther than fifteen feet from 

 nvs. It was in sight about seven minutes. At this same spot 

 a week earlier by mutual advances the distance between a 

 Short-billed Alarsh Wren and myself was reduced to less 

 than three feet. On the following day as I approached their 

 habitat three Leconte's Sparrows sat on the fence awaiting 

 me ; when within thirty-five feet of them I sat down ; during 

 a stay of upward an hour one or two of them were visible 

 most of the time. Streaks on the breast of one proclaimed it 

 a juvenile. Nine days later three again were seen, one of 

 which had a streaked breast. One visit was made in the 

 rain ; the bird sitting on the fence was not frightened away, 

 although I carried an opened umbrella and sat down within 

 thirty feet of it. Enough instances may have been given to 

 show that these Leconte's Sparrows were not shy, skulking 

 or elusive, and that it would be hard to admit that they were 

 not as bold as their congeners all about them. 



When perched on grass-stems their colors blended so well 

 with the yellowing wild grass that the birds were not quickly 

 recognized, but when sitting on the dead, brown weeds of 



