L12 Tue Birps Asout US. 
lot was literally full of birds. They came one morn- 
ing or in the night, about May 1, and remained until 
late in October. They were almost as noisy as the 
street sparrows, but a good deal more musical. They 
were black-throated buntings. My attempt made at 
the time to imitate their song resulted in sé-¢see-sit- 
a-see-see. As this differs somewhat from Nuttall’s 
and Wilson’s account, I will add that I think I never 
failed to hear two or three singing at once, and so 
may have added notes of one bird to the song of 
another. This weedy, open lot, on the edge of the 
town, seemed to be wholly to their liking, and they 
did not stray from it. There was water at the lower 
end and grasshoppers innumerable, so the birds re- 
mained eating, drinking, and making merry until 
autumn was well advanced. 
I found several nests, all upon the ground, but 
none with eggs. They all contained young birds, 
and how they escaped the long procession of prowl- 
ing tomcats that made night hideous and marred 
many a day is one of Nature’s unsolved problems. 

White-crowned Sparrow. 
