456 HISTORY OF THE 



late in the evening, long after dark I have heard it at mid- 

 night, and even as late as one or two o'clock. It is very tame; 

 a pair had their nest within a few feet of our camp at Chicago 

 Lake, and all the bustle and noise did not drive the female from 

 her nest, while her mate would pick up crumbs which we threw 

 to him, almost at our feet. It commences building in July, 

 and the young are hatched about the 20th; the nest is placed 

 on the ground in a clump of bushes, composed of coarse grass 

 and weeds, and lined with fine grass. The eggs are usually 

 four, of a pale bluish green, very thickly speckled and dotted 

 with reddish brown, the latter colors almost wholly obscuring 

 the former at the larger end." 

 Eggs, . 86x. 61; in form, oval. 



Zonotrichia leucophrys intermedia KIDGW. 



INTERMEDIATE SPARROW. 

 PLATE XXVHI. 



Migratory; quite common in the western to middle part of 

 the State; rare in the eastern portion. Arrive in April to first 

 of May; return in October, often remaining until late, in No- 

 vember. 



B. 346. R. 207rt. C. 277. G. , 225. U. 5540. 



HABITAT. Western North America, from the eastern edge of 

 the Great Plains (casually farther) to the Pacific, and from 

 Mexico to Alaska; breeding in Alaska, and eastward through- 

 out the Mackenzie River basin. (In the mountainous regions, 

 probably much farther south.) 



SP. CHAR. "In color and markings exactly like Z. leucopkrys, with the excep- 

 tion of the lores, which are entirely light ashy or buffy white, continuous with 

 the stripe of the same color over the eyes." 



The dimensions given below, of a pair in "The Goss Orni- 

 thological Collection," show this bird to be somewhat smaller, 

 but this difference may not hold good in the measurements of 

 a large number. 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 6.80 10.00 ,3.10 3.10 .88 .40 



Female... 6.60 9.65 2.95 2.95 .87 .40 



Iris brown; bill yellowish to reddish brown, tips usually 

 dusky; legs and feet dull reddish brown; claws dark brown. 



