THE MOUNTAIN SONG SPARROW. 139 



No. 55- 

 MOUNTAIN SONG SPARROW. 



A. O. L'. No. 381 1). Melospi/a melodia montana ( llenshavv). 



Description^. — .lilults: t'iMwn dull bay streaked with black and divided by 

 ashy-gray median stripe: rnfcms brown post-ocular and rictal stripes, enclosing 

 grayish-brown auriculars; remaining upperparts ashy-gray varied by reddish 

 brown, the gray due to broad edgings of feathers and occupying from one-half 

 to two-thirds the total area according to season, feathers of back and sca])ulars 

 sharply streaked with blackish centrally ; wings and tail brown varied by minor 

 markings and edgings of dusky, brownish gray and ashy-gray ; below white, or 

 sordid, heavily streaked on sides of throat, breast and sides by blackish and 

 rufous, markings wedge-shaped, tear-shaped or elongated, confluent on sides of 

 throat as maxillary stripes and often on center of breast as indistinct blotch. Bill 

 liorn-color above, lighter below : feet pale brown, toes darker; iris brown. Young: 

 Like adults but duller, all markings less sharply defined, streaks of underparts 

 narrower. Length of adult male (skins): 6.00 (150): wings 2.73 (69.3): tail 

 2.74 (69.6): bill .48 (12.2); tarsus .88 (22.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; heavy streaking of breast and back, 

 with varied head markings, distinctive; lighter, grayer and more sharply streaked 

 as compared with M. in. inerrilli. 



Nesting. — As next. 



General Range. — "Rocky Mountain district of the United States west to 

 and including the Sierra Nevada, in California; north to eastern Oregon, southern 

 lilaho and southern Montana: soutli in winter to western Texas and northern 

 Mexico" (Ridgway). I'robablv also north into British Columbia and south- 

 western Alberta. 



Range in Washington. — Migrant and winter resident along eastern borders. 



.Authorities. — ? Snodgrass, Auk, XX. 1903, 207. W. T. Shaw in epist, Dec. 

 31, 1908. Sr? 



Specimens. — P'('32 spec). 



WHETHER or not the Song Sparrows of northern Montana and eastern 

 British Columbia are typical montana, the doctors must settle ; but certain 

 it is that sparrows of a type decidedly lighter, that is, ashier. in coloration, 

 than our inerrilli, pass thru our eastern borders during migrations. Of such 

 a bird, examined narrowly at Si)okane on November 4, 1905, my note-book 

 says (comparing at every point with nicrrilli] : "Ashy gray and brown of 

 head strongly contrasting: ashy of back and scapulars very extensive, brown 

 areas of feathers not exceeding one-third their total width: underparts clearer 

 white: streaking lighter rusty and more sharply defined, more narrow on 

 sides." 



a. Based upon that of Mclospha melodia from whicti it differs sliglitly in proportions but cliicfly in 

 grayer coloration. Ttic measurements are those of Ridgway, Birds of N. & M. A., Vol. I., p. 358. 



