THE DESERT SPARROW. 115 



edging on wing. Length of adults about 5.35 (i35-9J; wing 2.55 (65); tail 

 2.4cS (63) : bill .40 ( lO) ; tarsus .75 (19). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size ; gra3ish coloration ; strong white super- 

 ciliary ; black throat ilistinctive. 



Nesting. — Not yet reported from Washington. 'West in bushes, slight and 

 frail, close to the ground; eggs 2-5, 0.72x0.58 (18.3x14.7), white with a pale 

 greenish or bluish tinge, unmarked; laid in May, June and later" (Coues). 



General Range. — Arid districts of southwestern United States and north- 

 western Mexico west from western Texas to California north probably to southern 

 Idaho and Washington ; south, in winter to Chihuahua, Sonera and Lower 

 California. 



Range in Washington. — Probably summer resident in Lpper Sonoran and 

 Arid Transition life-zones; bclieNed to be recently invading State from south. 



Authority. — Dawson, Auk. \ ol. XXW Oct. 1908, p. 483. 



IF one ha])pens to be fairh- well ac(|uaiiited with the licensed musicians 

 of the sage, the presence of a strange voice in the morning chorus is as 

 noticeable as a scarlet golf jacket at church. The morning light was gilding 

 the cool gray of a sage-covered hillside in Douglas County, on the 31st day of 

 May, 1908, and the bird-man was mechanically checking off the members 

 of the desert choir. Brewer Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow and 

 the rest, as they reported for duty, one by one, when suddenly a fresh voice 

 of inquiry. Blew dice tee tee, burst from the sage at a stone's cast. The 

 binoculars were instantly levelled and their use alternated rapidly with that 

 of note-book and pencil as the leading features of the stranger's dress were 

 seized upon in order of saliency : Black chin and throat with rounded 

 extension on chest outlined against whitish of underparts and separated 

 from grayish dusk\- of checks by white malar stripe; lores, apparently includ- 

 ing eye, black; l>rilliant white superciliary stripe; crown and back warm 

 light brown. 



The newcomer was a male Desert Sparrow and the interest aroused by 

 his appearance was considerably heightened when it was recalled that he was 

 venturing some five hundred miles north of his furthest previously recorded 

 range. This bird, probably the same individual, was seen and heard on 

 several occasions subsequent thruout a stretch of half a mile l)ordering on 

 Brook Lake. Once a female was glimpsed in company with her liege lord, 

 flitting coquettishly from bush to bush ; but the most niligent search failed 

 to discoxer a nest, if such there was. Nesting was most certainlv on the 

 gallant's mind for he sang at faithful intervals. The notes of his brief but 

 nuisical offering had something of the gushing and tinkling quality of a 

 Lark S|)arrow's. .A variant form, zvlietv, wheiv, zvhiferer, began nicely but 

 degenerated in the last member into the metallic clicking of Towhee. 



We iia\e here, in all ])r(ibability. ;miithcr and a verv cons])icuous exami)le 



