THE GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. 133 



General Range. — Pacific Coast and I'lCiing Sea districts of Alaska; south 

 in winter thrii the Pacific States to Lower California: occasionally straggles 

 eastward. 



Range in Washington. — Spring and fall migrant both sides of the Cascades, 

 more common westerly. 



Migrations. — S faring: c. April 21 ( West-side) ; c. May 20 (Chelan ). 



Authorities. — ? Hiiihcrica atricapilla And. Orn. Biog. \'. 1839, 47; pi. 394. 

 Baird, Rep. I'ac. R. R. Snrv. \'ol. IX. 1858, 462. C&S. L'. D'. Kb. Ra. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens. — L. of W. I'rov. E. 



REGAL the he be, this sparrow is discreet in the matter of appearances, 

 and does not cultivate tlie public eye. Washington is only a way-station 

 in his travels, and the splendors and lilierties of court life are reserved for 

 Alaska. Appearing at Taconia during the last week in April, demure 

 companies of Golden-crowns may not infrequently be seen associated with 

 migrating Xuttalls. They are in no hurry, or perhaps the haste of inidnight 

 flight is over when we see them yawning sleepily in the buslies of a morning. 

 Tiiey are languid too as they deploy upon the park lawns, always within 

 reach of cover, in search of fallen seeds or lurking beetles. Their leisurely 

 movements contrast strongly with the bustling activities of the local Nuttalls ; 

 for the latter are burdened with the care of children, before the Alaskan 

 migrants have forsworn bachelorhood. East of the Cascade Mountains the 

 northward movement of this species is even more tardv, and Mav 18-22 are 

 the dates at which I ha\e recorded it at Chelan. 



Migrating Zonotrichias are all coquettishly retiring, and the first hint 

 of danger sends them scuttling into the bushes. If one presses up to the 

 edge of the brush, he may hear an uncanny rustling among the leaves and 

 branches as the l)irds retreat, but not a single note is uttered. Left to them- 

 selves, the birds become sociable with many ciiihs common to the genus: and, 

 if unusually merry, the Golden-crowns indulge a sweet, preparatory hoo '"''^ 

 which reminds one of both the White-crowned fZ. leucophrys) and Wliite- 

 throated (Z. alhicoUis) Sparrows of the East: but the song has never l^een 

 comjileted here to our knowledge. 



Suckley said that Golden-crowned Sparrows were alnnidant in summer 

 both at Fort Dalles and Fort Steilacoom, but this was undoubtedlv a nu'stake, 

 as the records of alleged nesting in California proved tq be. On the other 

 hand they may winter with us to some extent, since Mr. Bowles tof)k a 

 specimen on December 16, 1907, in the Puyallup Valley. 



