266 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



580. Rufous-crowned Sparrow. Aimophila ruficeps. 



Range. Local in southern half of California and in Lower California. 



A brownish colored species both above and below, which is found on mount- 

 ains and hillsides in restricted localities. They nest on the ground placing their 

 grass structures in hollows, usually at the foot of a small bush or shrub and 

 well concealed. They, lay from three to five pale bluish white eggs. Size 



OU X .DU* 



580a. Scott Sparrow. Aimophila ruficeps scotti. 



Range. Western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona south in Mexico. 



A paler species, above, than the last, and whitish below. It is quite a common 

 species on the mountain ranges where it nests on the ground, in clumps of 

 grass or beneath shrubs or overhanging rocks; the nests are made of grasses 

 and weeds scantily put together. The eggs are white, untinted. Size .80 x. 60. 

 580b Rock Sparrow. Aimophila ruficeps eremceca. 



Range. Middle and southern Texas and south in Mexico. 



This variety frequents rocky mountain sides where it nests 

 abundantly under rocks or at the foot of shrubs, the nests 

 being made of coarse grasses loosely twisted together and lined 

 with finer grass. The birds are shy and skulk off through 

 the underbrush upon the approach of anyone so that the nests 

 are quite difficult to find. The three to five eggs are pure 

 white and of the same size as those of the last. 



580c. Laguna Sparrow. Aimophila ruficeps sororia. 



Range. Mountains of southern Lower California. 



The nests and eggs of this very similar variety to ruficeps proper are not 

 likely to differ in any particular from those of that species. 



581. Song Sparrow. Melospiza cinerea melodia. 



Range. North America, east of the Plains, breeding from Virginia to Mani- 

 toba and New Brunswick, and wintering chiefly in the southern half of the 

 United States. 



A favorite and one of the most abundant in all sections of 

 the east. They are sweet and persistent songsters and frequent 

 side hills, pastures, roadsides, gardens and dooryards if 

 English Sparrows be not present. They nest indifferently 

 upon the ground or in bushes, generally artfully concealing 

 the nest by drooping leaves; it is made of grass and weed 

 stems, lined with fine grass or, occasionally, horse hair. As 

 is usual in the case of birds that abound about habitations 

 choose odd nesting sites. They lay two and sometimes three sets of 'eggs a 

 season, from May to August, the eggs being three to five in number and white 

 or greenish white, marked, spotted, blotched or splashed in endless variety of 

 patterns and intensity, with many shades of brown; some eggs are very heavily 

 blotched so as to wholly obscure the ground color while others are specked very 

 sparingly. They measure .80 x .60 with great variations. The very numerous 

 subspecies into which the genus is divided are similarly marked but vary great- 

 ly in color depending chiefly upon the nature of the regions they inhabit, those 

 in humid regions where the rainfall is great being very dark and brownish 

 while those of the dry arid regions are pale and have a " washed out" appearance; 

 between such regions they assume all intermediate stages of plumage. The 

 eggs show all manner of changes in coloration and marking but those of any 

 of the subspecies are not distinguishable from some types of those of the eastern 

 bird. 



IWhite.] 

 they frequently 



