NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 389 



The late Major Charles E. Bendire, U. S. A., found this species to be a common 

 resident in the vicinity of Tucson, Arizona. The birds were especially abundant on 

 the ridges bordering Rillitto Creek, on the dry, arid cactus-covered plains, near the 

 present site of Camp Lowell. Here he collected many nests with eggs. The nest 

 is usually placed in low bushes, preferably small mesquites, from six inches to five 

 feet from the ground, most frequently about eighteen inches; and no especial attempt 

 is made at concealment. It is firmly fixed to a fork or crotch, and is a compact 

 structure, composed externally of coarse grasses and lined with the fine tops of the 

 mesquite grass, and not unfrequently a few horse hairs, when such are obtainable. 

 About one-half of the nests found contained one or more eggs of the Dwarf Cowbird. 

 A set of three eggs collected by Major Bendire, on August 23, 1872, are in Mr. 

 Norris' collection; they are plain bluish-white, and give the following measurements: 

 .75x.57, .78x.59, .75x.58. The first eggs were found by Major Bendire, June 14, but 

 the birds were believed to commence breeding even a month earlier. The number 

 to a set is commonly four or five. 



580. RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW. Peuccea ruftceps (Cass.) Geog. Disk 

 California coast from Lat. 40 south to Cape St. Lucas. 



The Rufous-crowned Sparrow breeds in various mountainous localities of Cali- 

 fornia, where, however, it is somewhat local in its distribution. Rocky hill-sides, 

 with a sparse growth of stunted bushes, are its favorite resorts. The breeding sea- 

 son is said to begin as early as April. The nest is placed on the ground in a slight 

 hollow, and is exceedingly hard to find, as the sitting female steals silently away 

 under cover of the surrounding vegetation, and if seen at all is likely to be mistaken 

 for a startled mouse. A nest collected July 10, by Mr. Charles A. Allen, on Black 

 Mountain, near Nicasio, California, and described by Mr. William Brewster, is out- 

 wardly composed of coarse grass and weed-stalks, lined somewhat scantily with 

 horse hair, very loosely put together. The locality was an open heathy tract on the 

 mountain-side, and the nest was placed on the ground under a bush. This nest con- 

 tained three pure white eggs; size, .89x.65.* The eggs are described by others as 

 plain bluish-white. 



580a. BOUCARD'S SPARROW. Peuccea ruficeps boucardi (Scl.) Geog. Dist.-- 

 Southern New Mexico and Southern Arizona, south into Mexico and Puebla. 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this species a resident in Southern Arizona, up to an 

 altitude of 4000 feet in winter and nearly 10,000 feet during the warmer months, but 

 Is much more common from the first of February until the middle of October. He 

 states that it does not seek cover in the thick grass to the degree or in the manner 

 so characteristic of its congeners. A nest was found June 15, 1885, well up on a hill- 

 side, at an altitude of 4500 feet, on the bare ground near a tussock of grass. The 

 nest was bulky for so small a bird, and loosely put together. It is composed of 

 coarse, dry grasses throughout and there is no attempt at lining with finer material. 

 Contained in this nest were two young just hatched and one egg, apparently fresh, 

 and plain, dead white; size, .83x.62. Three partly incubated eggs taken July 27 from 

 a similar nest, measure .80x.58, .82x.60, .86x.61. A third nest found by Mr. Scott 

 late in July contained the same number of eggs, which were almost fresh. 



5806. ROCK SPARROW. Peuccea ruficeps eremaeca Brown. Geog. Dist 

 Southwestern Texas, south in Eastern Mexico to Orizaba. 



* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club., II, p. 37. See also Vol. IV, pp. 47-48. 



