482 ZONOTRACHIA AT.UICOLLIS. 



npon iliosn Avho do not usn;illy notiro liinls. But to (ho lover of Nature, this song ho- 

 cdiiics so associated witli tlie peculiar location in which it is heard, where the warm summer 

 i.ir is redolent with the spicy odor of the cedar and savin, that it is as much a portion of 

 Ihe clKu-acteristic New England scenery as the tree-covered hills themselves. Individuals 

 \ary slightly in notes, even in Massachusetts, but I was surprised to hear these Sparrows 

 gi\ing iui entirely different song at Watsontown, Pennsylvania, in August. 



f have found the nests in a, low hush but they are sometimes placed on the gi'ound; the 

 eggs are laid during the latter part of May and a second litter is deposited later. The birds 

 arc quite shy even when breeding. The males will cease singing when disturbed and dart 

 into the nearest thicket from which it is difficult to start them. When forced to take 

 wing they will instantly shoot into another place of concealment. By September the birds 

 leave the wooded section and assemble with other Sparrows in the cultivated fields. They 

 migrate a little later in the season, but rarely go as far south as Middle Florida. 



(iENus \"i. zoNoTiiAcniA. Tii:; zoxr;-Trii;oATEn sPAr.Kows. 



(_Ji:n. Cii. Bill, rather poiulcil. \Viiir;s, about c^ualin length to the tail which is sliijhtly fuHicd , hut with tfic outer 

 feathers shortened. Stcrnuin, similar to that of Spi~el/a, hut a little broader, proportionateli/. Size, lareje. 



The thvoatsi or erown'^ of :-.ll l':e spcci.'-i are (.cri'iiicu^u -ly uiarkcil witii white, lilai-k, or yellow, often with a coniliina- 

 tiiai 1,1' all three colors. No i)voiinn.-'nt white markings i u ll.c tail. 



aONOTKACHIA ALBICOLLIS. 



Wtitc -throated Sparrow. 



Zonotrarhia a/bieoltis Woy., (.'oiisji., 1850,478. 



DKscnirTiox. 



Sp. Cii. Form, ixitiust. Size, large. Tongue, tluik and ILshy, hut I'liniished with a terrainal, hiliil fringe of fine cilia. 

 Sternum, as gi\en under generic characters. 



(.'oi.oR. Adult. Upjjer ])ortion of body, including outer edges of wing and tail feathers and upper wing coverts, chest- 

 nut, pnlest GU the rump, with the back streaked with rufous and black. Wings and tail dark-brown. Tips of wing cov- 

 erts, wl'.ite, forming bars. Tcji of head, black, with a median line extcniling from bill to occiput, and one on cither side, 

 starting from over tiie middle (,f eye and extending to occi]iut, throat, uniler wing coverts, abdomen and under tail coverts, 

 white, with the latter tinged with yellow ami streaked with dusky. Remaining under portions, lores, sides of head below 

 lino of eye, ashy, darkest anteriorly, with the sides and flanks tinged with chestnut. Line from bill to over mitldle of eye 

 anil edge of wing, near shoulder, bright yellow. Bill, bluish. Feet pale-brown. 



Younr/. The yellow line of the sides of bead is less extended. The black and white of the crown' show traces of chest- 

 nut. The whits throat ir-i somewhat obscured with dusky, and the breast is crossed with faint, wavy lines of the same color. 

 There is less chestnut on the sides, and the wing bars are narrower. 



Yomi'j <;/' the year. Differs in having the crown dusky and chestnut, with the white lines replaced liy pale-rufous ting- 

 ed witli dusl;y. The wing bars are also rufous. The white throat is more or less ol>scui-ed with rufous. There are black 

 maxillary lin?s and the breast Ls streaked with dusky. The yellow lines of the head are somewhat restricted and obscured 

 with dusky. 



Nestlinijs. Diller from the al)ovc in being finely streaked below, on all parts, excepting the abdomcn,with dusky, and 

 the white ovcrwashcd with yelluwish. Sexes similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Individuals vary but little in color, the ashy of the breast is occasionally lighter and there is sometimes an indication 

 ijf a dusky spot on the middle of the breast. Readily known in the more adult stages by the black, white and yellow mark- 

 ings of the top of the bead. Nestlings are much more difficult to determine and as 1 have none of the allied species in this 

 stage at hand, cannot speak with certainty of the diiferences, but should judge that atbicollis is more rufous above. The 

 f.mmles are apt to be duller. 



Distributed, while breeding, from Northern Massachusetts, to the for North, through the Ea.stern and Middle districts 

 Winters from the latitude of North Carolina to Central Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River. 



