470 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



the summer season, however, there is no overlapping in the ranges of thase 

 two sparrows. The Lincoln is then almost altogether above the 6000-foot 

 level, and on the west slope only. 



No nests of the song sparrow came to our attention. But in the vicinity 

 of Mono Lake the presence in mid-September, 1915, of yet unmolted 

 juvenile examples of fisherella pointed toward broods having been reared 

 in the vicinity. On September 20, 1915, song sparrows were seen around 

 the edge of Mono Lake, where the birds seemed to be feeding on the then 

 abundant supply of Mono Lake flies and their larvae. 



Lincoln Sparrows. Melospiza lincolni (Audubon) ^° 



Field characters. — Slightly smaller than Junco; tail shorter than body. No white 

 markings on wing or tail; body narrowly streaked both above and below; head and 

 upper surface of body streaked with brown and black; a gray stripe over each eye; sides 

 of throat and body, and band across breast, buff, narrowly streaked with dark brown; 

 chin white. Behavior much like that of Song Sparrow. Voice: Song of male an ex- 

 tremely rapid gurgling utterance, remindful of Western House Wren: zee zee zee ii 

 ter-r-r-r-r-r-r ; call note of both sexes a low sip; a chuckling note is also given. 



Occurrence. — Moderately common summer visitant in Canadian Zone (and locally 

 in the Hudsonian and Transition zones) on west slope of Sierra Nevada (subspecies 

 Uncolni). Also fall and winter visitant on west flank of mountains from Snelling to 

 Yosemite (subspecies gracilis). ^o Lives in thickets near streams. In pairs at nesting 

 time, otherwise solitary. 



The Northeastern Lincoln Sparrow (Melospiza lincolm lincolm) is a 

 summer visitant to the higher portions of the Sierra Nevada. "While 

 there, it inhabits dense willow and dogwood thickets, such as line streams 

 or occur around the edges of wet meadows. It is thus found at the higher 

 altitudes on the same ground with the white-crowned sparrow. The 

 Lincoln sparrow, however, keeps much more closely to cover, and as its 

 song is not loud or its markings or actions conspicuous, it is not nearly 

 so likely to come to notice as its clearer voiced and more brightly marked 



30 Two subspecies of the Lincoln Sparrow occur in the Yosemite region, at different 

 times of the year. 



Northeastern Lincoln Sparrow, Melospiza lincolni Uncolni (Audubon), a larger 

 and paler toned form, which summers in the boreal portions of North America and in 

 the Boreal Zone of southward-extending mountain ranges in the west, is a summer 

 visitant to the Canadian Zone (and to a less extent the Hudsonian and Transition zones) 

 on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. It was found by us from above Chinquapin 

 (at 6500 feet altitude) east to Mono Meadow (7300 feet), near Porcupine Flat (at 

 8100 feet), and at the head of Lyell Canon (at 9000 feet). While in the region it lives 

 in dense thickets of creek dogwood and willow along streams and on borders of wet 

 meadows. Seen singly; in pairs at nesting time. 



Northw^estern Lincoln Sparrow, or Forbush Sparrow, Melospiza lincolni gracilis 

 (Kittlitz), a smaller darker toned subspecies, which nests in the coast region of south- 

 eastern Alaska, is a winter visitant along the lower west flank of the Sierra Nevada. 

 It was found in Yosemite Valley in fall and at Pleasant Valley, Lagrange, and Snelling 

 in winter. At these stations it lives in thick stands of grass, or amid root tangles and 

 brush along streams; forages singly. 



