KRINGILLID.R — THE FINCH KS. .j!) 



IcsUhI, it, liccuiiios vt'iy Ciiiiiiliiii', iirid tlic old liinls luiiiu' tlieir yoiiii;,' to tin- 

 (lour to feed, as soipii iis tlicv caii leave tlioir iicst, Tlieir soiifj; is said to so 

 clnseiy icsemblc tliat uf llie eastern liird, in iiielddy and variety, tliat iL is 

 ini|i(issii)le eitlier to tell wliicli is llie superior or to point out the dill'erencps. 

 In wild disLriiis it is always to lie I'onnd near the sides of brooks, in thickets, 

 from wliicli it jealously drives oil' other birds, whether of its own or other 

 species, as if it considereil itself the jiroprietor. Its nest is built on the 

 ground or in a low bush. Or. Coojier has seen newly lledj;ed yoiinj,' as early 

 as May (1, at Olynipia, though the rainy season was then hardly over. 



Mr. Xuttall ]ironiainees its song as sweeter and more varied in tone than 

 that of the Song Sparrow. He heard their cheerful notes throughout the 

 summer, and every tine day in winter until the niontli of Xovendjer, particu- 

 larly in the morning, tluiir .song was still continued. Thoir nests and eggs 

 wore not distinguishable I'rom tho.se of F. mdodia. The nests were (iomposed 

 of dry grasses, lined with finer materials of the same, and occasionally with 

 deer's hair. He stales that they kee]) nnudi in low ground and alluvial situ- 

 ation.s, amidst rank \veed.s, willows, and lirandile.s, where they are frec^uently 

 to be seen hopping about and searching after in.sects, in the numner of the 

 Swam]) Sparrow, which they so nnicli re.send)le in their plumage. They are 

 usually very solicitiais for the safety of their young or for their nests and 

 eggs, keeping up an ince.ssant chirp. They raise several broods in a season, 

 anil are, like the Song Sparrow, also engaged nearly the whole of the summer 

 in the cares of rearing their young. 



Mr. Townsend met with this sjiecies through several hundred miles of the 

 Platte country in great inimbers, as well as on the banks of the Columbia, 

 generally frecjuenting the low bushes of wormwood (ArUmidu). It apptsired 

 also to be a very ]»ugnacious species. Two of the males were ofttMi observed 

 fighting in the air, the beaten party going off crestfallen, and the concpieror 

 repairing to the neare.st bush to celebrate his triumph by his lively and tri- 

 umphant strains. He again met with these birds, though not in abundance, 

 in .Tunc;, 182"), at the mouth of the Lewis I'iver, on the waters of the ('olundjia. 



This Sparrow was also found very numerous at Sitka, by Mr. liischolF, but 

 uo mention is made of its habits. 



Melospiza melodia, \ar. ruflna, Baird. 



RrSTT SONO SPARROW. 



Emherr.it riifimi, " Buandt, Deso. Av. Uossic IS.'itl, tub. ii, 5 (.Sitka)," I^hn.u'Aktk. Pan- 

 sere/ III. rittinn, I?on,\1'. foiinii. IS'ill, 477. (T liis iimy leiur to PiisucirUa toinincndi, Imt 

 is more inoliably tlic jiicsent bird.) Mc/oxphu ciiicrea, FiNscn, Abli. Nat. Ill, LS7'-', 

 41 (Sitka). Caui Friiiijilla c. O.mki,.) M. giUtata, FiN.scH, Abh. Nat. Ill, lb72, 41 

 (Sitka). (Not PrmgiUa (j. Nutt.) 



Sp. Char. Resembling M. guttnta in the undefined inarkinn;s, slender bili, etc., but 

 olivaeeous-browni.sh in.stead of rufous above, the darker inaiknigs sepia-lnowii instead 



