BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



white-crowned sparrows from their breeding-places in the 

 mountains — the one adorned with a crown of dull gold, black 

 bordered, and the other with a head marked with broad stripes 

 of black and white. Both have backs of streaked brown and 

 gray, and breasts of buff or ash. They are among our common- 

 est and most familiar winter residents, dwelling in our gardens 

 as well as in the thickets among the hills, and singing even dur- 

 ing the milder rains. The call-note of both species is a lisping 

 tsipy and their songs have the same quality of tone — a fine, high, 

 long-drawn whistle. I have written down the most usual 

 song of each species in musical form, and repeat them as fol- 

 lows. The golden-crowned sparrow sings: 



^ 



=5z n^z j^ 



$ 



The song of Gambel's sparrow is a trifle more elaborate, 

 commencing on an upward scale instead of the downward, as 

 in the former case. Loud and clear comes from the rose-bushes 

 the treble whistle : 



StAi. 



•tS^ 



i 



* 



Gambel's sparrow sings not only all day long but occa- 

 sionally at night. Often upon a dark, misty night in February 

 or March I have heard a sudden burst of bird music, and 

 recognized the very clearly marked strains of this bird. Com- 

 ing out of the night, so sudden and so beautiful, and followed by 



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