Gees THE WESTERN VESPER SPARROW. 
corresponds roughly with the northern extension of the Upper Sonoran zone, 
with overflow into the adjacent Arid Transition. Altho prairie birds, they 
are fond of scattered trees, fences, telegraph poles, or anything which will 
afford sufficient elevation for the sweet sacrament of song. 
This bird, more frequently than others, is found singing in the middle of 
the very hottest days in summer, and at such times his tremulous notes come 
to the ear like the gurgling of sweet waters. But Ridgway’s description has 
not been surpassed: “This song is composed of a series of chants, each 
syllable rich, loud, and clear, interspersed with emotional trills. At the 
beginning the song reminds one somewhat of that of the Indigo Bird (Pas- 
serina cyanea), but the notes are louder and more metallic, and their delivery 
more vigorous. Tho seemingly hurried, it is one continued gush of sprightly 
music; now gay, now melodious, and then tender beyond description —the 
very expression of emotion. At intervals the singer falters, as 1f exhausted by 
exertion, and his voice becomes scarcely audible; but suddenly reviving in his 
joy, it is resumed in all its vigor, until he appears to be really overcome by 
the effort.” 
These gentle birds are evidently profiting somewhat by the human occu- 
pation of the soil, and adapt themselves readily to changed conditions. ‘They 
are reported as breeding in the valley of the Willamette in Oregon, but we 
have no records of their occurrence in Washington west of the Cascades. 
No. 39. 
WESTERN VESPER SPARROW. 
A. O. U. No. 540a. Pocecetes gramineus confinis Baird. 
Synonyms.—WESTERN Grass FIncH. BAy-wiINcED BUNTING. 
Description.—Adults: General tone of upperparts slaty or grayish brown 
on the edges of the feathers, modified by the dusky centers, and warmed by deli- 
cate traces of rufous, bend of wing bay, concealing dusky centers; wings and 
tail fuscous with pale tawny or whitish edgings,—outer tail-feathers principally 
or entirely white, the next two pairs white, or not, in varying amount; below 
sordid white, sharply streaked on breast, flanks, and sides with dusky brown; 
the chin and throat with small arrow marks of the same color and bounded by 
chains of streaks; auriculars clear hair-brown, with buffy or lighter center; 
usually a buffy suffusion on streaked area of breast and sides. Length of adult 
male: 5.75-6.25 (146.1-158.8) ; wing 3.29 (83.6) ; tail 2.59 (65.8) ; bill .44 (11.2) ; 
tarsus .85 (21.6). Female a little smaller. 
Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; general streaked appearance; white 
lateral tail-feathers conspicuous in flight; frequents fields and the open sage. 
Nesting.— Nest: on ground, usually in depression, neatly lined with grasses, 
a. “Birds of Illinois,” Vol. I., p. 263. 
