FlUNGILLID/E — Till': J'INCIIKS. 25 



instoad of about e((iial to tliciii in width, and the cmI^'i's to tlio inttTscapular 

 fcatliLTS are not appreciably palor tlian tlio prevailinj,' shade, instead of beinn' 

 liuary wiiilisli, in strong contrast. Jn s[)ring the " bridlo" on the side of tlie 

 throat and tlie spots on tlie junuluni liavu the bhick of tiieir central j)ortion 

 in excess of their external rufous sulfusi(tn ; liut in autumn the rusty rather 

 predondnates ; at this season, too, the rusty tiut^ above overspread the whole 

 surface, but the black streaks are left shar]ily deliued. At all seasons, the 

 spots on the juguluni are broader and rather more numerous than in mr/uilia. 

 Tlie yoiing can scaritely be distinguished i'mm those of mr/utli'i, but they have 

 the dark streaks on the crown and upper tail-coverts consideral)ly broader. 



Habits. The California Song Sjiarrow has been named in honor of the 

 late Dr. Heermann, who first obtained specimens of this bird in the Tejoii 

 Vall(!y, and misbjnk them for the Zoaotrirliid rjuttaUi of Gaml)el [M. riijiaa), 

 from which they were appreciably different. AVhetlier a distinct sjjecies 

 or only a local race, this bird takes the place and is the almost precise 

 counterjjart, in most essential respects, of the Song Sparrow of the East. 

 The exact linuts of its distribution, both in the migratory season and in that 

 of re])roduction, have hardly yet been ascertained. It has been lound in 

 California as far north as San Francisco, and to the south and southeast to 

 San Diego and the ^fohave Kiver. 



The California Song Sparrow is tlu' characteristic Melo^pisa in all that por- 

 tion of the State south of San Francisco. It is found. Dr. Cooper states, in 

 every locality where there ai'e thickets of low bushes and tall weeds, espe- 

 cially in the vicinity of watei', and wherever unuKjlested it comes about the 

 gardens and houses with all the familiarity of the common laeludia. The 

 ground, under the shade of plants or bushes, is their usual jdace of resort. 

 There thej'^ diligently search for their food throughout the day, and rarely fly 

 more than a few yards from the place, and remain about their chosen locality 

 from one year's end to another, being everywhere a resident species. In the 

 spring they are said to percl; occasionally on some low bush or tree, and sing 

 a lively and pleasant melody for an hour at a time. Each song, Dr. Cooper 

 remarks, is a complete little stanza of a dozen notes, and is freipiently varied 

 or changed entirely for another of similar style, but c^uite distinct. Although 

 no two birds of this sjjecies sing just alike, there is never any ditliculty in dis- 

 tinguishing their songs when once heard. There is, he thinks, a similarity of 

 tune and style in the songs of all the species of true Mclospiza, which has 

 led other observers to consider them as of only one species, when taken in 

 connection with their other similarities in colors and habits. 



Dr. Coojjer fo\md a nest, presumed to belong to this bird, at Santa Cruz, 

 in June. It was built in a dense blackljerry-busli, about three feet from the 

 ground, constructed with a thick ])eriphery and base of dry grasses and thin 

 strips of bark, and lined with finer grasses. The eggs were of a smoky 

 white, densely si)eckled with a dull brown. Although this bird was abun- 

 dant around Santa Cruz, he was only able, after much searching, to find two 



VOL. II. 4 



