CO BULLETIN FERGUS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 



the hillsides at the margin of the snowy areas. In the spring, when a thaw 

 is taking place, a flock will congregate on a spot eight or ten feet across, 

 all pecking industriously from the bare ground. They also frequent the 

 margins of dry ditches, and a walk or fence on sloping ground, where ex- 

 posed areas can be found, are favored feeding-places. Some of the flock 

 are in motion at any time, flitting nervously to another portion of the 

 feeding-place. Often the whole flock will take wing with a dull whirring 

 sound of wings, many of the birds uttering a quick alarm note like the 

 syllable "quir," or "chie," or "quie quie." Rising in scattering body, with 

 c-f-.pricious, undulating movement, they may circle down immediately to the 

 same forage spot. 



The rapid flitting of the wings of the leucostictes in flight is notice- 

 able, though sometimes one will soar through the air with outspread 

 v/ngs, fluttering the wings only enough to give movement. The flitting of 

 the wings appears to be caused by their tips being elevated above the gen- 

 eral level of the bird's back. 



Very early the leucostictes give evidence of the approach of the 

 nuptial season. After the middle of January, one male will frequently chase 

 another coquettishly, like meadowlarks in amorous sport. Occasionally at 

 this season a male will sit for a few moments, uttering a pretty little trill, 

 like "tree-ree-ree-ree-ree-ree-ree," enunciating the syllables with great rapid- 

 ity. ' As the season approaches, and the warm sunshine of late February 

 announces the further advance of the vernal period, the leucostictes increase 

 in their musical numbers. Sitting on the ridge of house or barn, gener- 

 ally at the end of the ridge, alone or in small troops, they utter thorr 

 whe<7y chants, sometimes with no more force than that used by the grass- 

 hoppev sparrow, sometimes with greater force and more varied expression. 



The males sing also while sitting on the ground, appearing to be 

 picking up morsels of food, and singing as a frequent variation. In such 

 instances the song has a ventriloquial effect, appearing to issue from a 

 point much farther away. A male singing on the ground will sidle toward 

 a female, and if she coyly takes wing a reckless, amorous pursuit will fol- 

 low. They care little for surroundings, if an appreciative female listener 

 is near. Late in February I observed a male sitting on a telegraph pole 

 in front of the post office at mail time, and disregarding the bustle below, 

 tie uttered his low, hurried trills. 



In early March the wing-bars of their plumage become more promi- 

 r.ent, the purple of the sides to show more noticeably, and the colors gen- 

 eially to assume their vernal or nuptial hues. By the middle of April the 

 last of the leucostictes has disappeared. 



Distinguishing features: Plumage brown cinnamon; back of head, 

 bove ears, hoary gray; bill yellowish in winter; length 6-7 inches. 



524a. HEPBURN'S LEUCOSTICTE. Leucosticte tephrocotis littoralis. 



This associate of the gray-crowned leucosticte can be easily distin 

 guished by the greater amount of gray upon the head, the color frequently 

 marking the entire head above the lower part of the ears. Hepburn's leu 



