^7X THE SAY PEWEE. 



No. ijs. 



SAY'S PKWEE. 



A. ( •. I'. Xo. 457. Sayornis saya (I'onap.). 



Synonyms. — Say's I 'ik 11:111:. \\i;sti:kn riiouin:. 



Description. — Adults: (icncral color drab (grayish brown to dark hair- 

 brown*, ilaikir on |)ilcuni and aiiriculars, liglitcr on tliroat, shading ihrn np|)er 

 lail-covcrts to black; tail brownish black; wings fuscous, the coverts and e.\j)Osed 

 webs of tertials edged with lighter grayish brown; under|)arts below breast 

 cinnanion-burt'; axillars and lining of wings light buff or creani-bulT. I'ill and feet 

 black; iri< brown. Yiiuiiij hints are more extensively fulvous, and are marked 

 by two cinnamonu'iius bands on wings ( formed by tips of middle and greater 

 coverts). Length of adult male 7.50 ( i<A5 I ; wing 4.14 ( 105) ; tail 3.23 (82) ; 

 bill .f)2 i 15.71 : tarsus .~f) (20). l""emale averages smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size: drab coloring; ciiuiamon-colorcd belly; 

 melancholy notes; fre(|uents barns and outbuildings or cliffs. 



Nesting. — Ncsf: composed of dried grasses, moss, plant-libers, woolly ma- 

 terials of all sorts, and hair; placed on ledges, under caves of outbuildings, under 

 bridges, or on cliffs. Hi/gs: 3-6, usually 5. ilull white, occasionally sparsely dotted. 

 Av. size, ./"^ X .5() ( 19.6 x 15). Scasmi: .\])ril 20-May 10, June 1-15 ; two broo<ls. 

 Yakima CoinUy .\i>ril 24, i<K». 5 young about live days old (eggs fresh alxiut 

 .\pril 7th ). 



General Range. — Western North .\merica north to the .Xrctic Circle in 

 .Maska, ^'llknn Territory, etc., east to Manitoba, western Wyoming, western 

 Kansas, etc., breeding thruout range, south to Arizona and northern Lower 

 California; southward in winter over northern and central Mexico. 



Range in Washington. — Common summer resident east of the Cascades 

 (chiefly in Upper Sonoran and .\rid Transition life-zones), rare or casual west of 

 the luonnlains. 



Migrations. — -Spring: c March 15; Okanogan County March 17, i8<^/3; 

 .\htamnn ( ^ akinia Co.) Feb. 20, 1900. 



Authorities.— Bendire, Life Hist. X. .\. I'.irds. \ol. H. 1S95, p. 2-;-;. (T). 

 1)'. Kb. IV. Ss'. Ss-. J. B. 



Specimens. I''. I'rov. C. 



A CiIC.XTLIC inelaiicliojy |)ossesscs the Pewec. The memory of that 

 older Kdcii once blotted by the ruthless ice-sheet, still haunts the clianil)ers of 

 the atavistic soul and she goes iiiouniing all her days. Or she is Uke a Peri 

 barre<l from Paradise, and no ])rotTer of mortal joys can make amends for 

 the immortal loss ever before her eyes. Kulcciv, kutc(~:c! 



In keeping with her ascetic nature the Pewec haunts solitary places, 

 bleak hillsides swept by March gales, lava cliffs with their solenm, silent 

 bastions. Or, since misery loves company, she ventures uikju some waterless 



