1 



480 ORNITUOLOGY, 



Spizella BREWERI. 



Bi'ew«!i'N Sparrow. 



Spizella breiceri, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Ptiila., VIII, 18.JG, 40.— Bafrd, B. N. 

 Am., 1858, 475 ; Cat. N. Am. B., 185'J, No. 301.— CooPEB, Oru. (Jal., I, 1870, 

 209. 



Spizella pallida var. breiceri, COUES, Key, 1872,143; Clieck List, 1873, No. hHOa; 

 . B. N.W., 1874, 151.— B. B. & K., Uist. N. Am. B., II, 1874, 13, pi. xxvii, fig. 

 4.— Uenshaw, 1875, 279. 



A counterpart of the eastern Field Span-ow (S. pusilla), in its ])redilec- 

 tion for fields, or any open bushy localities, this species was found in every 

 place adapted to its habits. It was first observed at Sacramento, where it 

 was quite common, inhabiting the bushy fields along with Chondestes gram- 

 maca, Coturnicidus perpalUdus, and Sturnella neglecta. In the sage-brush 

 country, eastward of the Sierra Nevada, it was still more numerous than 

 in the Sacramento Valley; and throughout the entire extent of the Great 

 Basin was eveiywhere one of the commonest birds of the open wastes, and 

 an almost constant associate of Oreoscoptes montanus and the two species 

 of AmpMspiza. 



The resemblance of this species to S. pusilla extends no further than to 

 a similarity of general habits, however, for its nest and eggs are extremely 

 different, being more like those of S. socialis, while its song is remarkable 

 for vivacity and variety, in this respect fully equaling that of the best 

 Canaries, though it is considerably inferior to the latter in power. It is 

 interspersed throughout with a variety of trills or water-notes, and ])laintive 

 chants which resemble somewhat the well-known notes of the Field Sparrow. 



Lint of specimens. 



105, ? «(/.; valley of tbe Truckee, Nevada, July 24, 18G7. 5ij— 7,",.— 2yg— 2— /g- 

 I — 2J — IJ. Bill, pale lilaceous-brown, darker aloug the ciilmen ; iris, hazel ; tarsi 

 and toes, pale browiiisli tlesh color. 



785, nest and eggs (3); Truckee Reservatiou, June 3, 18G8. Nest in sage bush, 

 about three feet from ground. 



810, nest and eggs (2) ; "Old River" (near sink of Carson), Nevada, June 27, 1808. 

 Nest la sage bush, about four feet from ground. 



834, nest and eggs (3) ; Austin, Nevada, July 4, 1808. Sage-bush, 



874, ad.; Ruby Valley, Nevada, August 28, 1808. 5,\— 8— (?)— 2^. Upper man- 

 dible, black, approaching to ashy-lilac on the tomiuni; lower mandible, lilat-eous asliy; 

 iris, ashy-umber: tarsi and toes, grayish horn-color. 



