FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 355 



Nest. As described by Scott, on bare ground, bulky, loosely made of 

 coarse dried grasses. Eggs : 3, white. 



In the Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona, Mr. Scott found the 

 Scott sparrow a common resident from 2000 to 4000 feet in winter, 

 and nearly up to 10,000 feet in summer. 'When flushed, he says, 

 instead of hiding in the thick grass it flies to the nearest tree, making 

 little effort to conceal itself. 



In New Mexico we found it about rocky ledges of the Guadalupe 

 Mountains. Its song in August was short and rather mechanical. 



5 8 Ob. A. r. eremoeca (Brown). ROCK SPARROW. 



Similar to ruficeps, but prevailing color of upper parts ashy, feathers of 

 back dull brownish centrally with black shaft streaks. Male : length 

 (skins) 5.40-6.00, wing 2.58-2.70, tail 2.60-2.80, bill .46-:51. Female: 

 length (skins) 5.45-5.90, wing 2.41-2.57, tail 2.45-2.85, bill .45-.51. 



Distribution. From middle and southwestern Texas to Orizaba, Mexico ; 

 breeds in limestone hills of middle Texas ; migrates to Vera Cruz, Mexico. 



Nest. On or near the ground, usually sheltered by a bush. One 

 in Chisos Mountains under soto. bulky, made of grass and lined with 

 fine plant fibers; with 4 bluish white eggs. 



GENUS MELOSPIZA. 



General Characters. Wing short, rounded, primaries exceeding second- 

 aries by much less than length of tarsus ; tail rounded ; tarsus about equal 

 to middle toe with claw. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Chest buffy. 



2. Streaks on upper parts finer, not so black . . . liiicoliiii, p. 359. 

 2'. Streaks on upper parts coarser and blacker . . . striata, p. 360. 

 1'. Chest not buffy. 



2. Chest faintly if at all streaked georgiana, p. 360. 



2'. Chest distinctly streaked. 



3. Upper parts mainly pale rufous f allax, p. 357. 



3'. Upper parts not pale rufous. 



4. Upper parts sooty, rusty, brown, or olive. 

 5. Upper parts dark sooty or rusty. 



6. Sooty, larger. Alaska ; to Olympics in winter. 



rufina, p. 358. 

 6'. Rusty, smaller. 



7. Bill larger ; darker. Southern Alaska to Oregon ; to south- 

 ern California in winter morphna, p. 358. 



7'. Bill smaller; lighter. Idaho to northern California; to 

 Mexico and Arizona in winter . . merrilli, p. 359. 

 5'. Upper parts brown or olive. 



6. Larger; wing (male) 2.42-2.80. Central valleys of Cali- 

 fornia heermanni, p. 357. 



6'. Smaller; wing (male) 2.21-2.51. Santa Cruz to Humboldt 



County, California samuelis, p. 358. 



4'. Upper parts grayish. 



5. Interscapulars streaked with black and brown. 



