Kin Xr.ILLID.'K — THE FIN(.'II KS. 57 r, 



"Female sinallcr, and the colors ratlier duller. Tiiiinature and winter 

 specimens have the white cliin-i)atch less aliruptly defined, the white 

 niarkinjj;s on tlie top and sides of tlie head tinj,'ed witli hrown. Some 

 specimens, apjjarently mature, show ijuite distinct streaks on the breast and 

 sides of tliroat and hody. 



IIauits. The Wiiite-throated S])arrow is, at certain seasons, an abundant 

 bird in all parts of North America, from tiie (!reat Plains to the ^Ulantic, 

 and from Georgia to tiie extreme Arctic regions. A few breed in favorable 

 situations in ^fassachusetts, esj>ecially in the extreme northwestern part of 

 the State. It breeds abundantly in Vermont, New ]Iami)shire, and Maine, 

 and in all the r>riti.sli Provinces. 



Sir John liichardson states that they reach the Saskatchewan in the mid- 

 dle of j\Iay, and spread throu.uhout tlie fur countries, as far, at least, as the 

 Odtli parallel, to l)reed. He states that he .saw a female sittiu},' on seven 

 eggs near the Cumberland House, as early as June 4. Tlie nest was placed 

 under a fallen tree, was made of grass, lined with deer's hair and a few 

 feathers. Anothei, found at CJreat JJear's Lake, was lined with the si'tw of 

 the Bn/itin nfitjiuosuiii. He describes tlie eggs as of a pale mountain-green, 

 thickly marbled with reddish-brown. When the I'emale was disturbed, she 

 ran silently off in a crouching manner, like a Lark. He descril)es the note 

 of tiiis bird as a clear song of two or three notes, uttered very distinctly, but 

 without variety, — a very incomplete description. 



Mr. Kennicott states that this species does not extend its migrations as 

 far to the north as Z. (jdmbfli, and is even much less numerous on the south 

 shores of the Slave Lake, wliere he did not observe half so many of this as 

 of the other. It also nests later, as he found the first nest 1 bserved on the 

 22d of June, with the eggs (juite fresh, incubation not having commenced, 

 and found others after that ilate. On English Ifiver he found two nests with 

 eggs on the Dtli and 17th of July, and one near tlie Cumbeilaiul House 011 

 the 30th of June. Two of these were in low swamjiy ground among huge 

 trees, the other on high ground among small bushes. They were constructed 

 on large bases of moss, and lined with soft grasses. When startled i'rom 

 her nest, the female always cnipt silently away through the grass. 



He met with this species in considerable flocks, accomiianiud by small 

 numbers of Z. leiicophrjjH, on the north shore of Ijike Superior, on the 11th of 

 May. He .saw individuals on the I'Uth of May, near the Lake of the Woods, 

 and it doulitless breeds as far south as that region. In the fall it was not 

 seen at Fort Simpson later than the last of September. As it is a much 

 more eastern bird than ^. r/timhcli, it is probably in greater abundance on the 

 eastern end of Slave Lake. Its song he regards as by no means so attractive 

 as that of Z. ijtnnlwli or of Z. /rucojiliri/n. Its geneial habits are very much 

 like those of the former, and though by no means a strictly terrestrial bird, 

 it rarely perches high on trees, and generally Hies near the ground, except 

 in its long migratory flights. 



