REPORT UPON ORNITHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 



117 



middle of August they bad gathered into flocks, and, in company with 

 other sparrows, were commonly seen seeking among weeds and bushes 

 for seeds. 



74. j\{elospiza melodia (Wils.), vaY.fallax, Bd. Western Song-Sparrow. 

 Not very common. Found in the White Mountains, Arizona, in 

 August. Present, also, in small numbers, along the Gila. 



75. Melospiza lincolni, Aud. Lincoln's Finch. 



Among the hordes of sparrows found along the Gila River, the middle 

 of September, no one species compared at all in its abundance to this 

 finch. The tall weeds and undergrowth were literally alive with these 

 birds, dozens of which would be scared up at every step and alight on 

 the neighboring trees. They spend all their time on the ground, search- 

 ing for the small seeds and insects which constitute their food. When 

 undisturbed, they are perfectly silent, but occasionally, when startled, 

 emit a sharp chirp. 



70. Peuccea ruficeps (Cass.), var. boucardi, Sclat. 



Under this variety of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow are included a 

 series of ten sparrows, collected in Arizona from Apache southward 

 and near Camp Bayard, N. Mex. From the typical ruficeps, as shown 

 by specimens in the Smithsonian Institution, they differ in the generally 

 darker coloration, especially shown in the rufous of the head, and in the 

 stouter, darker bill, showing in these respects their relationship with 

 boucardi. 



Young birds in the nesting-plumage have the entire upper parts ashy- 

 brown ; beneath pale yellowish-white, profusely streaked across the 

 breast and along the sides with dark-brown; greater wing-coverts tipped 

 with fulvous; secondaries margined outwardly with dull-rufous. 



This sparrow was found to prefer rocky localities, generally in the 



