F1UN(JILMU.K — TIIH I'lNt'UKS. 2o 



instt'inl of alM)Ut equal to tlicm in wi»ltl», and the vih^v> to lliu iiittTHcapular 

 Ifutlit'i's are imt aj»preeia})ly i»aler tliaii tlie ]»revailin^' shade, instead of beini,^ 

 Ik Kiry whitish, in strong e<»ntrast. Jn si»ring the " hridle" on the sitlf of tlie 

 th.-oat and tlie spots on the jnuuluni liave the hlaek of their eentral portion 

 in excess of their external rulous suffusion ; luit in autumn the rusty rather 

 predominates ; at this season, too, the rusty tints above overspread the whole 

 surface, but the black streaks are left sharjily defined. At all seasons, the 

 s]>ots on the jugulum are broader and I'ather more numerous than in iniliKlia. 

 The voungcan scarcely be distinguished from those of nu/txlu/, but they have 

 the dark streaks on the crown and upper tail-coverts considerably broader. 



Haiuts. The California Song Sjuirrow has been named in honor of the 

 late Dr. Heermaini, who first obtained specimens of this bird in the Tejoii 

 Valley, and mistook them for the Zo/iulrirhiti (juttuta of CJambel (J/, nijiaa), 

 from which they were appreciably different. AVhetlier a distinct species 

 or only a local race, this bird takes the place and is the almost precise 

 counterpart, in most essential respects, of the Song Sparrow of the East. 

 The exact limits of its distribution, both in the migratory season and in that 

 of re])roduction, have hardly yet been ascertained. It has been found in 

 California as far north as San Francisco, and to the south and southeast to 

 San Diego and the Mohave lliver. 



The California Song Spariow is the characteristic Mdoqnza in all that por- 

 tion of the Stat' ^outh of San Francisco. It is found, Dr. Cooper states, in 

 every localitv vhere there are thickets of low bushes and tall weeds, espe- 

 cially in the vicniity of water, and wherever unmolested it comes about the 

 gardens and liouses with all the familiarity of the connnon wehilia. The 

 ground, under the shade of plants or bushes, is their usual jdace of resort. 

 There they diligently search for their fo<id throughout the day, and rarely ffy 

 more than a few yards from the place, and remain about their chosen locality 

 from one year's end to another, being eveiywhere a resident species. In the 

 spring they are said to perch occasionally on some low bush or tree, and sing 

 a lively and pleasant melody for an hour at a time. Each song. Dr. Cooper 

 remarks, is a complete little stanza of a dozen notes, and is frecpiently varied 

 or changed entirely for another of similar style, but quite distinct. Although 

 no two birds of this species sing just alike, there is never any difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing their songs when once heard. There is, he thinks, a similarity of 

 tone and style in the songs of all the species of true Melosjnza, which has 

 led other observers to consider them as of only one species, when taken in 

 connection with their other similarities in colors and habits. 



Dr. Cooper found a nest, ])resunied to belong to this bird, at Santa Cruz, 

 in June. It was built in a dense blackberry-bush, about three feet from the 

 ground, constructed with a thick periphery and base of dry grasses and thin 

 strips of bark, and lined with finer gi'asses. The eggs were of a smoky 

 white, densely speckled with a dull l)rown. Although this bird was abun- 

 dant around Santa Cruz, he was only able, after much searching, to find two 



VOL. u. 4 



