ii8 THE SLATE-COLORED JU>J%(). 



the song is a sort <>f suIkIuciI imisical croaking, mellow and rich at close 

 quarters, Init with little carrying i>ower. The hird throws his head well l)ack 

 in singing, and the tail is carried more nearly horizontal than is the case with 

 most Sparrows. .A song from the \'akima country ran: //iv<, cliif^ f^iiciiy, 

 r/n'/>7>t'Ti'<n'. clii/' f'cti.'iiy, hut a common type heanl on the hanks of the Colum- 

 bia in Walla Walla County, and repeated uiM)n the northern limit of the 

 bird's range in Douglas County, is Tiif^. tup. tn iiVt'/v. citiip, tup. A more 

 pretentious ditty, occupying two sec<)nds in delivery, runs Hooricdoppcty, 

 Zifcter 7i'ce, dootllrty pooliit'rr. — an ecstacy song, wherein the little singer 

 seems to be intoxicatetl with the aroma of his favorite sage. 



One may search a long time in the ncighlK>rho(Ml of the singer — who, by 

 the way, closes the concert abrujjtly when he realizes that he is likely to give 

 his secret away — before finding the humble domicile a foot or two up in a sage 

 bush. A nest which containe<l live eggs was comix )sed externally of sage 

 twigs set into a concealed crotch <if the bush, Init the bulk of it consisted of 

 weed-bark and "hemp" of a (piite uniform <piality: while the lining containe<l 

 tufts of w<H>l, rabbit-fur, cow-hair, feathers, and a few coiled horse-hairs 

 The feathers were procured at some distant ranch, and their soft tii)s were 

 gracefully upturned to further the concealment <if the eggs, already well |)rr> 

 tected by their grayish green tints. 



.•\nother nest, sighted some forty paces away, contained one egg. and wc 

 had high hopes r)f l^eing able to secure photographs upon our return with the 

 camera. Hut a few mds further we came uinm a crew <)f sneaking Magpies, 

 scouring the sage with a dozen beady eyes, and passing sneering or vulgarly 

 jocose remarks uikmi what they found. When we returned, therefore, a day 

 or two later, we were not surjjrised to learn that the fealliereil marauders 

 haf! iircfcncrl c"/!;.;!!.!!!!'-!)!!] to Sdiixcnir |)liotograi)hs. 



No. 4<>. 



si.\ri;-C()i.()Ri;i) Ji xco. 



.\. ( ». I'. Xo. ^f>~. Junco hyemalis (I, inn. I. 



Synonyms. — Snow-iiirp. 1v\sti:k\ Snow-iurd. 



Description. — . Iiiiill luolc in summer: l'p|)cr])arts, thmat and breast slate- 

 color dccpiniiiK to slaty-black on |)ik'nni. the bluish tinpe lacking on wings and 

 tail; below, abruptly white from tlic breast, the flanks ashy slate; the two outer 

 pairs of tail-foatlurs entirely, and the third pair principally white: bill llesh-color, 

 usually tipped with black. Adult fctimlc: Similar to male; throat and breast 

 paler; a brownish wash over the ti])|iirparts. deejiest on nape and up|>cr back; 

 wings brownish fuscous rather than black, and sides tawny-washed, .\dult male 

 in Xi-iiiter. becoming like female, but still distinguishable. Length 6.00-6.50 



