14 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



and occasionally elsewhere on tlu; sides, have l>rownish shafts, not found in 

 the other. Tho difl'erences arc ii'jrhai)s tiioso of race, rather tiian of species, 

 tliouf,')! they are very aiii>recial)le. 



If AiHTs, Tills sjiecii's bears a very close resemblance to tiio <V. pnllitla in 

 its external appearance, hut there are certain constant dill'crences wliich, with 

 the peculiarities of their distinctive distributions and habits, seem to estal)- 

 lish their sjiecilic .separation. The present bird is found from the I'acilic 

 coast to the liocky IMountains, and from the northern ])ortion of California 

 to tiie liio Grande and Mexico. iJr. Kennerly found it in February, 1854, 

 throughout New Mexico, from the Uio Grande to the (}reat (Colorado, along 

 tlic different streams, where it was feeding upon the seeds of several kinds 

 of weeds. 



Dr. Heerniann, while accompanying the sui'veying i>arty of Lieutenant 

 Williamson, between tiu; iWd and Moth parallels, found these 82)arrows 

 throughout his entirt; route, l)otii in California and in Texas. On the pas- 

 sage from tlie I'imos villages to Tucson he observed large flocks gleaning 

 their food among the bushes as they were moving southward. In the Tejon 

 valley, during the fall season, he was constantly meeting them associated 

 with large flocks of other species of Sparrows, congregated around the cul- 

 tivated fields of the Inilians, wliere they find a bountiful sui)ply of seeds. 

 For this purpose they pass the greater part of the time upon the ground. 



Dr. Woodh(juse also met with this Sjjarrow throughout New Mexico, 

 wherever food and water were to be found in sufiicient quantity to sustain 

 life. 



In Arizona, near Fort Whii)i)le, Dr. Coues states that this bird is a rare 

 summer resident. He characterizes it as a shy, retiring species, keeping 

 mostly in thick brush near the ground. 



Mr. liidgway states that he found this interesting little Sparrow, while 

 abundant in all fertile portions, almost exclusively an inhabitant of open 

 situations, such as fields or bushy plains, among the artemcsia esi)ecially, 

 where it is most numerous. It fref[uents alike the valleys and the moun- 

 tains. At Sacramento it was the most aljundant Sparrow, freipienting the 

 old fiehls. In this resjiect it very much resendJes the eastern Spizdla 

 piisi/fd, from which, however, it is in many resjiects very ditt'erent. 



The song of Jirewer's Sparrow, he adds, for sjjrightliness and vivacity is 

 not excelled by any other of the North American Fringillidie, being inferior 

 only to that of the Chondesks f/rammaca in power and richness, and even 

 excelling it in variety and com])ass. Its song, while pos.sessing all the plain- 

 tiveness of tone so characteristic of the ciistern Field Sparrow, unites to this 

 quality a vivacity and variety fully etpialling that of the finest Canary. 

 This species is not resident, but arrives about the 9th of April. He found 

 its nest and eggs in the Truckee Heservation, early in June. The nests 

 were in sage-bushes about tiiree feet from the ground. 



Dr. Cooper found small flocks of this species at Fort Mohave, after Marcii 



