THE WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 127 



tcj tlie tree-tiips in straggling fasliii/m. and tliere eitlier await the witiulrawal 

 of the intruder, or else make off at a good lieight. 



The song- of the Tree Si>arro\v is sweet and tuneful, affording a 

 pleasing contrast to the monotonous ditty of the Western Chipping Sparrow. 

 Snatches of song may be heard, indeed, on almost any mild day in winter; 

 hut the spring awakening assures a more pretentious effort. A comtrion 

 furni runs. .S"tiVi'-/;(i. sweet, sweet, szveet, with notes of a most flattering 

 tenderness. But we may only guess at the bird's full powers, for the home- 

 making is in Alaska. 



No. 50. 



WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 



.\. O. U. No. 560 a. Spizella passerina arizonjE (Coues). 



Synonyms. — Chippy. II.\ir-iukd. 



Description. — Adult: Crown bright chestnut; extreme forehead black with 

 ashy median line; a light ashy superciliary stripe; lore and postocular streak 

 black; underparts and sides of head and neck ashy gray, dullest on breast and 

 sides, clearest on throat where nearly white ; hind-neck and wings bluish ash, 

 the former more or less streaked with blackish ; back and scapulars light brown 

 (Isabella color) heavily streaked with black; wings and tail fuscous, liill dark; 

 feet light; iris brown. ]'oiiiuj birds are streaked with dusky above and below 

 and lack the chestnut of crown. Length of adult males: 5.00-5.50 (127-139. 7) ; 

 wing 2.83 (/2) ; tail 2.36 (60) ; bill .39 (10) ; tarsus .67 (17). Females smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size: chcstniU cnnvn and whitish superciliary 

 distinctive. 



Nesting. — .Xest: A compact or careless structure of hue tw'igs, grasses, and 

 (most commonly and often exclusively) rootlets, heavily lined with horse-hair; 

 jjlaced in sage-bush, wild rose thicket or shrubbery, or else on horizontal branch 

 of apple tree or evergreen. E(j()s: 3-5, usually 4, greenish blue speckled freely 

 or in narrow ring about larger end with reddisli brown and black. Av. size, 

 .71 X .51 ( iS X 13 ). Season: April-July, usually May and June; two broods. 



General Range. — Western North America from the Rockies to the Coast 

 breeding from the southern border of the United States north to the ^'ukon 

 X'alley in Alaska, east over the western provinces of Canada; south in winter to 

 .Mexico and T.owcr California. 



Range in Washington. — Coninmu summer resident Ihrudut the State chiefly 

 in settled portions and more f)i)en situations. 



Migrations. — Sf'rhig: 'S'akima, .April 12, i(,00 ; Chelan. .\|)rii 24. 1896; 

 'i'acoma. .\pril 12, 1905. .April 11. 1906. 



Authorities. — Spizella socialis P)Onap. Baird, Rep. I'ac. R. R. Surv. l.X. 

 iS.v*^. 47.^ part. (T). C&S. D'. Ra. D^ Ss-'. Kk. J. P.. E. 



Specimens. — l'. nf W. 1''. I'rov. 1'. 1'.. 



