SPARROWS 396 



gardens is at least four times what it was before this man took 

 the destruction of the Sparrows into his own hands. There is 

 a clear case of cause and effect. The Sparrows are shrewd 

 and wary, quick to take alarm and leave the vicinity where 

 disaster befalls them. They are hard to catch in a trap and 

 always on the lookout for cats and other enemies. 



Genus PASSERINA Vieill. 



534. Passerina nivalis (Linn.). Snowflake; Snow Bunt- 

 ing; Snow Bird; "Warm-blooded Snowflake." 



Plumage of adult male in summer : head, neck, under parts, inner half of 

 primaries and secondaries, rest of wing and outer tail feathers white ; back, 

 scapulars, end of primaries and secondaries and inner tail feathers black. 

 Plumage of adult male in winter : feathers above rusty, brown tipped, over- 

 lapping and more or less concealing the black basal portions which show here 

 and there, giving a mixed black appearance to the plumage ; otherwise much 

 as in summer save that the wings, tail, breast and sides are more or less 

 edged and washed respectively with rusty. Plumage of adult female in sum- 

 mer : primaries fuscous and secondaries tipped with fuscous ; streaked with 

 black above, otherwise much like summer adult male. Plumage of adult 

 female in winter : differs from winter males only in the fuscous color of the 

 primaries. Immature plumage : wing with more dusky than in the female, 

 otherwise very similar. Wing 4.20 ; culmen 0.43 ; tail 2.80. 



Geog. Dist. Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere, breeding in Arctic 

 regions ; in winter south to the northern United States, and irregularly to 

 Georgia, southern Illinois, Kansas and Oregon. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; common winter visitor, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; common winter visitor, (Knight). Cumberland; common win- 

 ter visitor, (Mead). Franklin; winter visitor, (Swain). Hancock; common 

 winter bird both inland and among the islands, (Knight). Kennebec; com- 

 mon winter resident, (Gardiner Branch). Knox; winter, (Rackliff). Oxford; 

 visitant, (Nash). Penobscot ; common locally November to April, often 

 abundant, (Knight). Piscataquis; common winter visitor, (Homer). Sag- 

 adahoc; common fall, winter and spring, (Spinney). Somerset; common 

 winter resident, (Morrell). Waldo; common winter bird, (Knight). Wash- 

 ington; winter visitant, (Boardman). York; common, (Adams). 



Though occasionally found in the State as early as October 

 tenth, this is very exceptional, the species more usually appear- 

 ing in early November and then locally and sporadically com- 

 mon until late March, a few exceptionally remaining until even 



