f FRINCilLLirhE — TIIK FINCHES. 591 



like those of tlie Prfiran and of Lcurostirfr fjrUfiuvrhn^ and, like them, white 

 and iinsj)otted. 



This species was fii-st doscrihed hy Mr. ('assin»froni specimens ohtaiiied in 

 Western Texas hy Jolin W. Au(hil)un, and its hahitat was at first supposed to 

 l)e restricted to the vallevs of tlie IMo (Jrande and the (lihi, hut more recent 

 explorations show it to have a much wider distrihution. It is found from 

 Western Texas throuj,di i)art of Mexico, New Mexico, the Indian Territory, 

 and Arizona, to Soutliern California, and towards the north throui^hout tlie 

 region of the Great Basin to an extent not yet full) determined. In portions 

 at least of this territijry it is migratory, and only resident in the summer 

 months. 



Mr. Dresser found this Sparrow very ahundant during July and xVugust in 

 the mes(piite thickets in the town of Matamoras. In Decemher it was 

 equally common at Eagle Pass, l)ut at San Antonio it was quite a rare hird. 

 He only ohserved it on two or three occasions at a raneiio on the Medina 

 liiver, ar 1 late in June a nest and four eggs were ohtained. IJetween Liiredo 

 and Matamoras, after crossing the Nueces, he found these birds \ ery numer- 

 ous, and near Laredo met with several nests, some containing young and some 

 eggs nearly hatched. One taken on the 20th of July contained three fresh 

 eggs, probably indicating a second laying. This nest was in a low bush, 

 carefully concealed. It was composed of straws and lined witli tine roots. 

 The eggs, when fresh, were nearly white, with a delicate bluisli tinge. On 

 his journey down the river he found many nests, all euipty or containing 

 young. Some of these were i)artially lined with cotton. Though not wild, 

 the birds were so restless that he found it difficult to shoot them. Dr. 

 Woodhouse obtained one specimen on the Kio Pedro, in Texas. 



In Mexico this Sparro\v was found by Lieutenant Couch to be numer- 

 ous in parts of Tamaulipas, Xueva Leon, Coahuila, and other States on the 

 Rio Grande, immediately south and west of the limits of the territory of the 

 L^nit^d States. It was first seen at Santa Eosalio, and specimens obtained, 

 though none were noticed at Brownsville, only twenty miles east, tluring a 

 month's residence. At Charco Escondido, forty miles fartlier in the interior, 

 it was very plentiful, and although it was early in ^larch, had already reared 

 a brood of young, one specimen appearing to be a young bird only a few 

 weeks old. Its favorite home appeared to be the scattered mestpiite, on 

 the plains east of the Sierra Madre. During the warm houi-s of the day it 

 does not seek the shade, but may always be found chirping and liop]»ing from 

 one bush to another. South of Cadoreita the birds disappeared, but after a 

 month's loss of their company he again met with them among some flowering 

 Leyuminom, between Pesquieria and Pinconada. He thus found it several 

 times entirely absent from districts of considerable extent, but always reap- 

 pearing again throughout his journey. Tlie usual note of this bird, at the sea- 

 son in which he met with it, w^as a simple chirp ; but on one occasion, having 

 halted during a norther in Tamauli})as, he heard a " gay little black-throated 



