BIRDS OF KANSAS. 433 



seven eggs, which is a quota. The young are out on the wing 

 sometimes as early as the first of July, but more generally by 

 the 10th of this month, from which time they unite in small 

 bands, frequenting the vicinity of the trading posts and native 

 villages, where they remain in great abundance until the last of 

 August or first of September, when they commence their strag- 

 gling departure for the south. While in the neighborhood of 

 houses they are extremely heedless of the presence of people, 

 and are nearly as familiar as are the English Sparrows in our 

 cities. By the last of September or first of October the last one 

 has passed away towards the south, and none are seen until 

 returning spring brings them north again. Some doubtless re- 

 main to winter along the southeast coast of the Territory, but 

 none are found in the north, nor do they occur at this season on 

 the islands of Behring Sea. 



"The nest is generally placed on the drier portions of the 

 flats; a hummock or tuft of grass is chosen, or perhaps a pro- 

 jecting bunch of dwarf willow stems. . . . The walls are 

 thick, and strongly composed of an abundance of material, or 

 they may be a mere cup-shaped shell, barely sufficient to hold 

 the eggs. The majority of nests are composed of rather coarse 

 grass, sometimes with moss interwoven, forming a thick layer, 

 which was frequently as thoroughly water soaked as a wet 

 sponge, when the nest was collected. The amount of material 

 used depends greatly upon the locality; in damp places a much 

 greater amount is made use of, while in dry places the nests are 

 much lighter. Though the outer part of the nest was frequently 

 formed of old and often grimy or partly decayed vegetable mat- 

 ter, the interior was invariably composed of fine, soft, dry, yel- 

 low blades of last year's grasses. These, in many instances, 

 are unmixed with other material, and in others are combined 

 with feathers of the Ptarmigan, or other wild fowl. In a few 

 cases, the lining of the nest is a warm cup of feathers, resting 

 upon fine grass, and one has a thick lining of feathers and dog' s 

 hair. 



"The ground color of the eggs (when it can be seen), through- 

 out the entire series, is a light clay with an apple greenish tinge. 



