J2 NORTH AMERICAN RTRDS. 



Had. T'ppor Missouri River and hipfli central plains to tho Saskatchewan country. 

 Capo St. Lucas, Oaxaca, Maich (Six. 18o9, 'Mi)); Fort Mohave (Coopkij, P. A. N. 8. Cal. 

 18G1, \'2'2)'j San Antonio, Tex.is, sprinjj^ (DRF:stJKH, Ibis, LSli'>, 480; c«»nimon). 



The asliy collar is quite conspicuous, and streaked above with brown. 

 Tlie rump is iniinaculate. The stieaks on tlie feathers of the crown almost 

 form continuous lines, al)out '.v in n inber. Tlie brown line al>ove the ear- 

 coverts is a post-ocular one. That on the side of tlie chin forms the lower 

 border of a white maxillary stripe which widens and curves around behind 

 tlie ear-coverts, fadiiij? into the ashv of the neck. The win<i-featliers are all 

 niarj^Miied with i)aler, and there is an indication of two li<Tlit bands across the 

 ends of the coverts. 



The youn<^ of this species is thickly streaked beneath ^v^r the throat, 

 breast, and belly, with brown, giving to it an entirely different appearance 

 from the adult. The streaks in the upper parts, too, are darker and more 

 conspicuous. The margins of the feathers are rather more rusty. 



This species is readily distinguishable from the other American Spizellas, 

 except S. hreii'cri (which see), in the dark streaks and median ashy stripe on 

 the crown, the paler tints, the dark line on the side of the chin, etc. 



Habits. The Clay-colored Bunting was first discovered by Kichardson, 

 and described by Swainson, in the Fauna Bor.-Amer. The only statement 

 made in regard to it is that it visited the Saskatchewan in considerable num- 

 bers, frequented the farm-yard at Carlton House, and was in all respects as 

 familiar and confiding as the common House Sparrow of Europe. 



The bird given by Mr. Audubon as the pallida has been made by Mr. 



Cassin a different species, S. hrewcri, and the species the former gives in his 



seventh volume of the Birds of America as Emhcriza shattuchi is really this 



species. It was found by Mr. Audubon's party to the Yellowstone quite 



abundant throughout the country bordering upon the Upper Missouri. It 



seemed to be particularly partial to the small valleys found, here and there, 



along the numerous ravines running from the interior and between the hills. 



I Its usual demeanor is said to greatly resemble that of the common Chipping 



j Sparrow, and, like that bird, it has a very monotonous ditty, which it seems to 



\ ■ delight to repeat constantly, while its mate is more usefully employed in the 



j duties of incubation. When it was approached, it would dive and conceal 



I itself amid the low bushes around, or would seek one of the lar^e clusters of 



1 wild roses so abundant in that section. The nest of this species is men- 



;• tioned as having been usually placed on a small horizontal branch seven or 



eight feet from the ground, and occasionally in the broken and hollow 

 branches of trees. These nests are also stated to have been formed of 

 slender grasses, but in so slight a manner as, with their circular lining of 

 horse or cattle hair, to resemble as much as possible the nest of the common 

 socialis. The eggs were five in number, and are described as being blue 

 wdth reddish-brown spots. These birds were also met with at the Great 

 Slave Lake region by Mr. Kennicott, in tlie same neighborhood by B. R 



\\ 



