FRINGILLID^E — THE FIXCHES. 25 



instead of about equal to them in width, and the edges to the interscapular 

 feathers are not appreciably paler than the prevailing shade, instead of being 

 hoary whitish, in strong contrast. In spring the " bridle " on the side of the 

 throat and the spots on the jugulum have the black of their central portion 

 in excess of their external rufous suffusion ; but in autumn the rusty rather 

 predominates ; at this season, too, the rusty tints above overspread the whole 

 surface, but the black streaks are left sharply defined. At all seasons, the 

 spots on the jugulum are broader and rather more numerous than in melodia. 

 The young can scarcely be distinguished from those of melodia, but they have 

 the dark streaks on the crown and upper tail-coverts considerably broader. 



Habits. The California Song Sparrow has been named in honor of the 

 late Dr. Heermann, who first obtained specimens of this bird in the Tejon 

 Valley, and mistook them for the Zonotrichia guttata of Gambel {M. rufina), 

 from which they were appreciably different. AVhether a distinct species 

 or only a local race, this bird takes the place and is the almost precise 

 counterpart, in most essential respects, of the Song Sparrow of the East. 

 The exact limits of its distribution, both in the migratory season and in that 

 of reproduction, have hardly yet been ascertained. It has been found in 

 California as far north as San Francisco, and to the south and southeast to 

 San Diego and the ]\Iohave Eiver. 



The California Song Sparrow is the characteristic Mclospiza in all that por- 

 tion of the State south of San Francisco. It is found. Dr. Cooper states, in 

 every locality where there are thickets of low bushes and tall weeds, espe- 

 cially in the vicinity of water, and wherever unmolested it comes about the 

 gardens and houses with all the familiarity of the common ludodia. The 

 ground, under the shade of plants or bushes, is their usual place of resort. 

 There they diligently search for their food throughout the day, and rarely fly 

 more than a few yards from the place, and remain about their chosen locality 

 from one year's end to another, being everywhere a resident species. In the 

 spring they are said to perch occasionally on some low bush or tree, and sing 

 a lively and pleasant melody for an hour at a time. Each song. Dr. Cooper 

 remarks, is a complete little stanza of a dozen notes, and is frequently varied 

 or changed entirely for another of similar style, but quite distinct. Although 

 no two birds of this species sing just alike, there is never any difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing their songs wdien once heard. There is, he thinks, a similarity of 

 tone and style in the songs of all the species of true Ilelosjnza, which has 

 led other observers to consider them as of only one species, when taken in 

 connection with their other similarities in colors and habits. 



Dr. Cooper found a nest, presumed to belong to this bird, at Santa Cruz, 

 in June. It was built in a dense blackberry-bush, about three feet from the 

 ground, constructed with a thick periphery and base of dry grasses and thin 

 strips of bark, and lined with finer grasses. The eggs were of 'a smoky 

 white, densely speckled with a dull brown. Although this bird was abun- 

 dant around Santa Cruz, he was only able, after much searching, to find two 



VOL. ir. 4 



