34 BIRDS OF THE PAPAGO SAGTJARO NATIONAL MONUMENT. 



surroundings, and will not place personal prejudices above the gen- 

 eral good. 



This is one of the species that was of daily occurrence about " The 

 Lodge " at Roosevelt during my visits there in June and July. Small 

 flocks would appear from time to time, especially toward evening, 

 when they would rest a few moments in some of the small trees about 

 the hotel before starting out on what appeared to be a long flight, 

 perhaps to some distant roost. 



DESERT SPARROW. 



AmpJiispisa Mlineata deserticola Kidgway. 



Recognition marks. About 5| inches long. Frequents the ground 

 or low bushes. Adults with a black area covering chin, throat, and 

 upper breast, pointed below, sharply defined and conspicuously out- 

 lined against the whitish lower parts. Two narrow, white lines on 

 side of head, one over the eye, the other extending diagonally down- 

 ward from corner of mouth. Outer tail feather, edged and tipped 

 with white. As the bird flies the tail appears blackish, as contrasted 

 with the lighter colored upper parts. Young birds lack the black 

 throat; chin and throat white, breast streaked with grayish or 

 brownish markings. 



Occurrence. The desert sparrow, for reasons of his own, does not 

 regard with favor the lowlands west of the Superstition Mountains, 

 and none was seen in this section. The species has been taken here 

 in the winter months, but appears to seek somewhat higher altitudes 

 for nesting. About Roosevelt Lake it is one of the most abundant 

 birds, as it is also along the road to Globe, and, from the latter point, 

 throughout the valleys to the southward. 



In June, at Roosevelt Lake, young and old together were gathered 

 in little flocks, scattered through the brush, and taking flight one 

 by one when approached too near. The male birds, presumably, were 

 everywhere perched upon low bushes, giving continual utterance 

 to their tinkling song. The desert sparrow in many ways is very 

 junco-like, the chittering alarm note, the song, and the bird's actions 

 in flight or feeding being all strongly suggestive of his mountain 

 cousin. 



The nest is usually placed in some low shrub, from a few inches to 

 2 feet above the ground, and constructed of shreds of bark, small 

 twigs, or grass. The eggs, three or four in number, as a rule, are 

 white, faintly tinged with bluish green, and sometimes with a few 

 fine black specks at the large end. 



This is a bird of the desert, haunting the most barren wastes, fre- 

 quently many miles from water, and but seldom seen even in the bot- 

 tom lands of such streams as traverse its desert home. It occurs in 



