324 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Hancock counties, usually in low hazel thickets. In September 

 and October, 1896, the Clay-colored Sparrows were abundant 

 around Forest City. H.J. Giddings gives the species as a rare 

 summer resident, a few nesting, in Jackson county; and W. H. 

 Bingaman as a common migrant and rare breeder in Kossuth. 



255- (563). Sp!2e//a pusi//a (Wils.). Field Sparrow. 



The Field Sparrow is a common summer resident in all parts of 

 Iowa, arriving during the last week of March or first of April and 

 remaining until the middle of October. It is more a bird of pas- 

 ture lands and the borders of thickets than of the fields, nesting, 

 usually, upon the ground, but sometimes in low bushes. Two 

 broods are raised in a season, and eggs have been found from May 

 I to July 26. Morton E. Peck says that the Field Sparrow is 

 "one of the few Iowa birds that seems to have become more 

 abundant within the last twenty or thirty years." 



Genus Junco Wagler. 



256. (567). Junco hy emails {\Jv\\x\..). Slate-colored Junco. 



The Slate-colored Junco is a very abundant migrant in all parts 

 of the state, usually arriving from the north in large numbers 

 about the first of October and the bulk leaving the state by the 

 first week of May. Dr. C. C. Smith has noted them at Decorah 

 as early as September 16 and as late as May 16. The Junco is a 

 common winter resident from the central part of the state south- 

 ward, but is most abundant in October, November, March, and 

 April. It is a sprightly and familiar bird, frequently appearing 

 in door yards, and readily known by its slate-colored back, head 

 and breast, white belly and white outer tail feathers. This spe- 

 cies is the bird commonly called the " Snowbird." 



257. (567.1). Junco ))ionla)ms 'Rid.g^N. Montana Junco. 



To tliis newly described species should probably be referred all 

 the Mississippi Valley records of Juncos outside of the typical 

 Eastern hyemalls, — {J. h.orcgonus Towns. ,y. shufeldtl Coale, andy. 

 //. connectens Coues). Its geographical distribution is given in the 

 gth Supp. A. O. U. Check Eist (Auk, xvi, 1899, p. no) as: 

 " Northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, north to Alberta; 

 in winter south to northern Mexico, Texas, etc., and east, irreg- 

 ularly or casually, to the Mississippi Valley, and even to Indi- 



