52 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



During their stay in the United States these birds keep in small distinctive 

 flocks, never mingling, though often in the same places, with other species. 

 They are found in the edges of thickets and in moist woods. They are usu- 

 ally silent, and only occasionally utter a call-note, low and soft. In the 

 spring the male becomes quite musical, and is one of our sweetest and most 

 remarkable singers. His voice is loud, clear, and melodious ; his notes full, 

 rich, and varied ; and his song is unequalled by any of tliis family that I have 

 ever heard. They soon become reconciled to confinement and quite tame, 

 and sing a good part of the year if care is taken in regard to their food. If 

 allowed to eat to excess, they become very fat and heavy, and lose their song. 



Dr. Coues did not meet with these birds in Labrador, but Mr. Audubon 

 found them there and in Newfoundland in large numbers ; and, according 

 to the observations of Sir John Eichardson, they breed in the wooded dis- 

 tricts of the fur countries, up to the 68th parallel of latitude. 



These birds were also found abundantly at Fort Simpson and Great Slave 

 Lake by Mr. Robert Kennicott and Mr. B. E. Eoss ; at Fort Anderson, An- 

 derson Eiver, Swan Eiver, and in various journeys, by Mr. E. MacFarlane ; 

 at Fort Eesolution, Fort Good Hope, La Pierre House, and Fort Yukon, by 

 Mr. Lockhart ; at Peel's Eiver, by Mr. J. Flett ; at St. Michael's, by Mr. 

 II. M. Bannister ; and at Nulato, by Mr. W. H. Dall. They were observed at 

 Fort Simpson as early as May 17, and by Mr. Kennicott as late as September 

 17. Mr. Dall states that at Nulato he found this Sparrow in abundance. It 

 arrived there from the 10th to the 15tli of May. It breeds there, and its 

 eggs were obtained on the Yukon Eiver. In the month of August in 1867 

 and of July in 1868 it was abundant at the mouth of the Yukon and at 

 St. Michael's. One was also shot at Unalaklik. The birds seemed to pre- 

 fer thickets to the more open country. Mr. Bannister did not find it abun- 

 dant. He shot only one specimen during the season, in an alder thicket 

 near the fort ; and Mr. Pease, who was familiar with the species, only saw a 

 single individual. 



According to the reports of both Mr. MacFarlane and Mr. Kennicott, the 

 nest of this species was found both on the ground and in trees. In one 

 instance it was in a tree about eight feet from the ground, and in its 

 structure was said to be similar to the nests of Turdus alicicc. They were 

 nearly all found after the middle of June, a few as early as the 7th. One 

 was found on the ground at the foot of a tuft of dwarf willows, which helped 

 to conceal it from view. This was composed of coarse hay, lined with 

 some of a finer quality, a few deer-hairs, and a small quantity of fresh and 

 growing moss, intermingled together. In speaking of this nest Mr. Mac- 

 Farlane states that all the nests of this Sparrow he had previously met 

 with had been built in the midst of branches of pine or spruce trees, and 

 had been similar to those of the T. alicice, which, in this instance, it did 

 not resemble. He adds that this species, though not numerous, extended 

 quite to the borders of the wooded country, to the north and northwest of 



