, FRINOILLinyE — TIIK FINCHES. 591 



like those of the Pencart and of LeitroHtv-fi: griseimiclm, and, like them, white 

 and un.si»otted. 



This species was fii-st doscM'ihed by ]\Ii'. Cassin'froni spcciniens obtiiined in 

 Wester" Texas by .lohn W. An(hil)on, and its habitat was at first supjiosed to 

 be restricted to the valleys of tlie l!io (irande and the (iila, but more recent 

 explorations sliow it to have a mudi wider distribution. It is found from 

 Western Texas througli part of Mexico, \ew Mexico, tlie Indian Territory, 

 and Arizona, to Southern California, and towards the north throuj^hout the 

 regi(m of tlie Clreat Basin to an extent not yet full} determined. In portions 

 at least of this territory it is migratory, and only resident in the summer 

 montlis. 



Mr. Dresser found this Sparrow very abundant during July and August in 

 the me.s(juito thickets in the town of Matamoras. In l)ecenil)er it was 

 equally common at Eagle Pass, but at San Antonio it was (juite a rare bird. 

 He only observed it on two or three occasions at a rancho on tlie Medina 

 liiver, and late in June a nest and four eggs were obtained. IJetween Laredo 

 and Matamoras, after crossing the Nueces, he found these birds very numer- 

 ous, and near Laredo met with several nests, some containing young and some 

 eggs nearly hatched. One taken on the 2(*th of July contained tliree fresh 

 eggs, probably indicating a second laying. This nest was in a low bush, 

 carefully concealed. It was composed of straws and lined witli fine roots. 

 The eggs, when fresh, were nearly wliite, with a delicate bliiisli tinge. On 

 his journey down the rivcir lie found many nests, all euipty or containing 

 young. Some of these were jiartially lined with cotton. Tiiougli not wild, 

 the birds were so restless that he found it diihcult to shoot them. Dr. 

 Woodhouse obtained one specimen on tlie Kio Pedro, in Texas. 



In Mexico this Sparrow was found by Lieutenant t'oucli to be numer- 

 ous in parts of Tamaulipas, Nueva Leon, Coahuila, and otiier States on tlie 

 Rio Grande, immediately south and west of the limits of the territory of the 

 United States. It was first seen at Santa I'o.salio, and specinauis obtained, 

 though none were noticed at Brownsville, only twenty miles east, during a 

 month's residence. At Charco Kscondido, forty miles farther in the interior, 

 it was very plentiful, and although it was early in lUarcli, liad already ri-areil 

 a brood of young, one specimen ai)pearing to be a young liird only a few 

 weeks old. Its favorite home ai)peared to be the scattered niest|uite, on 

 the plains east of the Sierra Madre. During ti.e warm hours of tlie day it 

 does not seek the siiade, but may always be foiini" jliirpiiigand liopjiiug from 

 one bush to another. South of Cadoreita tlie birds disajijieared, but after a 

 month's lo.ss of their company he ag lin met with them among some flowering 

 Lefjiiminosa, between Pescjuieria and Uiiiconada. He thu.s found it several 

 times entirely absent from districts of considerable extent, but alv ays reap- 

 pearing again tliroughout his journey. Tlie usual note of this bird, at the sea- 

 son in which he met witii it, was a simple cliirp ; but on one occasion, having 

 halted during a norther in Tamaulipiis, he heard a " gay little black-throated 



