26 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



very rapidly a few steps, and then fall and flutter along 

 as though wounded until she has drawn the intruder 

 from the nest, wdien she will suddenly arise and fly to 

 a safe retreat, uttering as she goes a complaining note 

 much like that of the song sparrow. I have found a 

 few of these nests in brush heaps, and also in low, thick 

 bushes. This sparrow is perhaps of tener known by the 

 name of grass finch or bay-winged bunting. 



April 14:th T heard both the white-throated sparrows 

 {ZonotricMa alhicolUs) and the white-crowned {Zono- 

 trichia leucojphrys). It was a surprise, as these spar- 

 rows are seldom seen in this neighborhood before the 

 latter part of this month. During the spring and fall 

 migrations these beautiful species are abundant. In 

 spring they remain several days, singing very sweetly 

 in the sunny mornings. In their breeding haunts 

 farther north, they are said to sing in all kinds of 

 weather, but I have never heard them sing here except- 

 ing on the pleasantest days. Their songs are simple 

 but very pleasing. That of the white-throated consists 

 of six or seven clearly whistled notes, in quality resem- 

 bling those of the chicadee, but there are more of them 

 and of greater variety. 



The song of the white-crowned is peculiar. It begins 

 with a clear, though subdued whistle, and ends with 

 three or four detached, bell-like notes, unique but very 

 delightful. If in sight these sparrows are easily identi- 

 fied by their conspicuous markings. The leucophrj^s 

 has a white crown with black lines, the white meeting 

 at the nape of the neck, and the black at the base of the 



