[590] BIRDS OF OREGON 



summit of the Siskiyous in the vicinity of Little Greyback Mountain and 

 collected several specimens that have been identified by Swarth as typical 

 mariposae. 



Lincoln's Sparrow: 



Melospi^a lincolni lincolni (Audubon) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Upper parts dark brown and olive, finely and sharply 

 streaked with black; crown with light median stripe; malar region, chest, and sides 

 buffy ; sides and broad buffy chest band narrowly streaked with black. Young: colors more 

 suffused and streaks less sharply defined. Male: length (skins) 4. 88-5. 76, wing 1.16- 

 1.61, tail 1.07-1.44, bill .41-. 47. Female: length (skins) 4.54-5.43, wing 1.15-1.45, 

 tail 1.01-1.34, bill .38-46." (Bailey) Nest: A cup of grass on the ground. Eggs: 

 4 or 5, greenish white, wreathed about the larger end with brown and gray. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from interior Alaska, southern Mackenzie, Mani- 

 toba, Quebec, and Newfoundland south to Nova Scotia, New York, Ontario, and 

 Minnesota and in western mountains to southern California and northern New 

 Mexico. Winters south to Central America. In Oregon: Common breeding species 

 in higher part of Cascades and Blue Mountains and common migrant through 

 eastern Oregon. 



LINCOLN'S SPARROW is a breeding bird of the open meadows of the higher 

 ranges, where it frequents the straggling growth of willows along the 

 small streams. Except when in song it is an inconspicuous member of 

 the avian population, but its long clear vibrant notes call it to everyone's 

 attention in the courthsip period. Viewed from the back, it is easily 

 mistaken for a song sparrow, but from the front the distinct buffy band 

 across a white breast finely marked with black is distinctive. 



Bendire(i8y7) first listed this species as an Oregon bird, finding it an 

 abundant migrant and occasional breeding species in the vicinity of Camp 

 Harney. Merrill (1888) collected a single specimen at Fort Klamath on 

 March 14 but remarked that it became common later. Woodcock's (1902.) 

 records do not distinguish between this subspecies and M. I. gracilis, 

 though it is quite probable that his records from Dayton, Salem, and 

 Corvallis were the latter. 



We have found it to be a common migrant that can be expected in 

 eastern Oregon in April, May, and September, in company with other 

 migrating sparrows. It is a particularly common breeding species in all 

 higher parts of the Wallowa Mountains in Wallowa and Baker Counties, 

 where it probably attains its greatest abundance in this State. It is less 

 common through Grant, Union, Harney, and Wheeler Counties but is 

 found there at least occasionally. It arrives in April (earliest date, March 

 14, Klamath County) and remains until October (latest date, November 

 2.6, Coos County). We have only two definite breeding records. M. E. 

 Peck (ms. files, Biological Survey) found a pair feeding young at Meach- 

 am, Union County, July 2.9, 1915, and Jewett located a nest containing 



