478 HISTORY OF T1IK 



three-fourths high, having a central cavity one and three-fourths 

 inches deep by two and three-fourths across. The outer part 

 of the nest is made of a thin, compact layer of green moss, with 

 a few dead leaves. Inside is a thin layer of dried grass, running 

 circularly up the inside of the nest; this again is lined with a 

 handsomely cross-woven layer of wiry black moss fibers and 

 chestnut club-moss stems; the whole being a very well-made and 

 handsome structure, in which were three eggs with a clayey 

 greenish ground color; two of them are thickly and uniformly 

 dotted with dull reddish brown; between the dots the ground 

 color shows plainly in many places; the third egg is so densely 

 dotted with reddish brown and chocolate that the ground color 

 can hardly be traced, in a few places. This egg measures .90x 

 .70; the other two, .89x.68 and .90x.68." 

 Eggs three to five; in form, oval. 



Passerella iliaca schlstacea (BAIRD). 



SLATE-COLORED SPARROW. 



A rare winter visitant in the western part of the State; to be 

 looked for in sheltered places, along the streams or ravines 

 fringed with a dense growth of bushes, weeds, etc. 



B. 376. K. 235c. C. 284. G. 118, 239. U. 585c. 



HABITAT. Rocky Mountain regions of the United States; west 

 from the Great Plains to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. 



SP. CHAR. "Bill slender, the length being .34 from nostril, the depth .25; the 

 upper mandible much swollen at the base; the under yellow. Above, and on 

 the sides, uniform slate gray; the upper surface of wings, tail feathers and upper 

 coverts dark brownish rufous; ear coverts streaked with white. Beneath, pure 

 white, with broad, triangular, arrow-shaped and well-defined spots of slate gray 

 (like the back) everywhere, except along the middle of the belly; not numerous 

 on the throat. A hoary spot on the base of the bill above the loral region; ax- 

 illars nearly white." 



Stretch of 

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



Male 7.20 10.50 8.20 3.40 .92 .45 



Female... 7.00 10.20 3.10 3.30 .92 .43 



Iris brown; bill upper dusky, with sides at base dull straw 

 color; tip of under mandible bluish, rest straw color; legs and 

 feet flesh color; claws pale brown. 



From my limited observation, I think this bird does not dif- 



