THE SLATE-COLORED SPARROW. 135 



dead spruce twigs with a few twisted weed stalks; while the lining is of a 

 light-colored, fine, dead grass, very loosely arranged, and a few breast- 

 feathers of the Glaucous-winged Gull. A nestful of young Peregrine 

 Falcons were conversing in screams with their doting parents in the spruce 

 trees overhead, and terrorizing the island thereby ; but the Sooty Fo.x 

 Sparrows stepped forward modestly to claim ownership in the nest which 

 "Science" unfortunately required. The date was July 21, 1906, and the 

 eggs were nearly upon the point of hatching. 



Thus, the north and west slopes of the Olympic Mountains, together 

 with the islands of lower Puget Sound, appear to mark the southern breeding 

 range of the coastal Fox Sparrows. This form has not been rejiorted 

 breeding upon the mainland east of Puget Sound, but it is difficult to see 

 why it should not do so. It is rather the commonest form during the spring 

 and fall migrations, and there is no evidence as yet that it tarries with us 

 in winter. 



No. 63. 



SLATE-COLORED SPARROW. 



.A. O. U. No. 585 c. Passerella iliaca schistacea ( liaird). 



Synonym. — Sl.xTE-colored Fox Sp.\krow. 



Description. — Adults: Upperparts slaty gray tinged with olivaceous, chang- 

 ing abruptly to russet brown on upper tail-covcrts, and tail ; wings brown bright- 

 ening, more rusty, on edges of greater coverts and secondaries ; some white 

 fleckings below eye, and supraloral spot dull whitish; underparts white shaded 

 with color of back on sides ; the sides of throat, chest, and sides of breast heavily 

 and distinctly marked with triangular spots of sepia; lower breast (and some- 

 times middle of throat) flecked, and sides and flanks striped, with the same 

 shade; under tail-coverts grayish brown centrally edged broadly with buffy. 

 Young birds are tinged with brown above and are duller white below with less 

 distinct markings. Length of adult male 7.00-7.50 ( 177.8- i()o.5 1 ; wing 3.15 

 (80 I : tail 3.15 (80) ; bill .47 (12) ; tarsus .92 (23.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow to Chewink size; slaty gray and brown 

 coloration above with heavy spotting on breast distinctive; gray instead of brown 

 on back as compared with the five members of the uiialascliciisis group. 



Nesting. — Xcst: a bulky affair of twigs, weed-stalks, grasses, etc., jilaced 

 on ground or low in bushes of thicket. Eggs: 3-5. usually 4, greenish brown 

 sharply spotted or (rarely) blotched with chestnut. .\v. size .85 x .65 (21.6 x 

 16.5). Season: May-July; two broods. 



General Range. — Rocky Mountain district of United States and British 

 Columbia west to and including the Cascade Mountains, the White Mountains 



