NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 405 



Pacific coast as far north as Puget Sound during the summer. It replaces the Indigo 

 Bunting from the Plains to the Pacific and is found in all suitable localities. The 

 nest is usually built in a bush or in the lower limbs of trees, a few feet from the 

 ground. It is composed of fine strips of bark, small twigs, grasses, and is lined with 

 hair. The eggs are usually four in number, light bluish-green which readily fades 

 when exposed to light; they resemble very closely the eggs of the Bluebird; some 

 specimens are not distinguishable with certainty; average size, .75x.58. Sets of these 

 eggi-, are in my cabinet collected by Mr. R. B. Herron at San Gorgonia Pass, California, 

 between May 4 and June 13, 1883. The sizes of two sets, four eggs each are .76x.5s! 

 .77x.55, .74x.58, .74x.56; .74x.53, .75x.59, .78x.55, .79x.56. A set of four taken June 10 

 gives the following dimensions: .81x.62, .83x.64, .79x.62, .83x.64. 



600. VARIED BUNTING. Passerina versicolor (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. Lower 

 Ric Grande Valley in Texas, southward into Eastern Mexico. 



This bird is called Purple Painted Finch, Western Nonpareil, Prusiano. It in- 

 habits the region of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas south into Eastern Mexico. 

 Habits and nesting like those of P. amcena. Eggs dull bluish-white; size .75x.57 

 inches. 



600o. BEAUTIFUL BUNTING. Passerina versicolor pulchra Ridgw. Geog. 

 Pist. Lower California and Northwestern Mexico. 



This is a rather smaller race of the Varied Bunting. Its habits, nests and eggs 

 remain to be described. 



601. PAINTED BUNTING. Passerina ciris (Linn.) Geog. Dist. Southern 

 Atlantic and Gulf States, north to North Carolina and Southern Illinois, south in 

 winter to Panama. 



Called Nonpareil, Painted Finch and "Mexican Canary." In Mexico and in 

 some of the Southern States it is a favorite cage-bird. The male is a bird of hand- 

 some variegated plumage blue, green, vermilion-red, yellowish-green, etc., and the 

 female plain olive-green. A common species in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, 

 nesting in May, June and July, often rearing two broods in a season. In Georgia, 

 Mr. Perry states that he has found nests with eggs as early as April 7 and as late as 

 July 20. A nest before me collected by Mr. G. Noble, of Savannah, Georgia, is composed 

 of leaves, bark strips, twigs, rootlets and fine grasses. It is on the whole a neat, 

 compact structure. The nest is sometimes lined with horse hairs. It is built in 

 the smallest bushes, in saplings and also in the tallest trees. Mr. Perry has found 

 two or three nests in a single tree, and one nest built upon another, with eggs in the 

 cavities of both. The eggs are four or five in number, dull pearly-white or bluish, 

 speckled and blotched with reddish-brown particularly at the larger end; average 

 size .79x.60. Four eggs measure .76x.57, .75x.55, .80x.60, .80x.57. 



602. SHARPE'S SEED-EATER. Sporophila morelleti sharpei Lawr. Geog. 

 Dist. Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and adjacent parts of Mexico. 



This curious little Sparrow is found in the Rio Grande Valley in Southern 

 Texas and adjacent portions of Mexico. Dr. Merrill states that it is not uncommon 

 in the vicinity of Fort Brown. The birds were usually seen in patches of briers- and 

 low bushes at no great distance from water, and were very tame. During the breed- 

 ing season the male has a very sprightly song much resembling that of the Indigo 

 Bunting, but sweeter. At least two pairs built within the fort during the season 



