BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



breast yellow; belly yellow. Young gray, darker above, the wing- 

 feathers edged with yellow. Generally distributed throughout the valleys 

 and foothills; rare about San Francisco Bay. 



117. Pine-Siskin; Pine-Finch; Spinas pinus (Wils.). 



An undeveloped goldfinch in which the yellow is just beginning to 

 appear on the body and the feathers of the wings and tail. Everywhere 

 streaked brownish and grayish; base of tail and edges of wing-feathers 

 yellow. Breeds in the mountains of both the Coast Range and the 

 Sierra Nevada. In winter south irregularly in flocks. 



1 1 8. English Sparrow ; European House-Sparrow ; Passer do- 

 mesticus (Linn.). 



The English sparrow was unfortunately introduced into California 

 some years since, and is rapidly spreading. Any measures which will 

 serve to check its increase will be of benefit to our native birds. Length 

 about six inches. Top of head gray; sides of head chestnut; back 

 brown, streaked with black; lower parts dull grayish; a conspicuous 

 black patch on throat and upper breast. Female with black patch 

 wanting, and with colors less bright and pure. Abundant in towns and 

 cities about San Francisco Bay, at Stockton, Sacramento and other 

 points in the Sacramento Valley. 



119. Western Vesper-Sparrow; Bay-winged Bunting; Pooecetes 

 gramineus confinis Baird. 



An obscurely marked sparrow, streaked above and below. The 

 novice will be much puzzled with many birds of this family with a gen- 

 eral streaked grayish and brownish coloration, whitish below. The 

 marks by which the vesper-sparrow may be told are the white outer tail- 

 feathers and the chestnut patch on the shoulder. Length about six 

 inches. A winter visitor in the interior valleys of California. Birds 

 from central California are referred to another climatic race known 

 as the Oregon Vesper-Sparrow. The differences between these races 

 and the eastern bird are very slight. 



Savanna-Sparrow Group. Sparrows of the open fields and seaside, 

 with rather long, sharp beak, short tail, general streaked coloration, and 

 often some yellow about face or over the eye. There are several 

 climatic races found within the limits of California. 



120. Sandwich-Sparrow; Ammodramus sandmchensis (Gmel.). 



This type species of the group is brownish gray above, with a yel- 

 low line over the eye and a light gray line down the middle of the head, 

 separating two darker stripes; breast whitish, streaked with brown. This 

 northern race, which breeds in Alaska, is large in size (about six inches 



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