1I4 BENDIRE ox the Habits of the Genus Passerella. [ April 
Rattlesnake Creek from the numbers of these amiable reptiles 
found in its vicinity, flowed along the eastside of the Post, and 
sank a couple of miles below on the plain, forming the Harney 
Valley. The banks of this creek were fringed on both sides by 
dense willow and wild rose thickets, amongst which larger trees 
of various species were occasionally interspersed. These thickets 
furnished acceptable homes for the Slate-colored Sparrow, as 
well as for numerous other species, and quite a number of 
them bred right about the houses, in fact they were much more 
abundant for some reason in the immediate vicinity of the Gar- 
rison than at any other locality in that region. Possibly a more 
abundant food supply was found about there, or greater security 
from rapacious birds and mammals, owing to the proximity of the 
Post, may have had something to do with this fact. Here I found 
them quite tame and unsuspicious, much more so than the two 
preceding forms, and I have often seen them hopping around 
amongst the fowls and feeding with them. They usually arrived 
in that vicinity about the last week in March or the first week in 
April, and were amongst the earliest summer visitors to make 
their appearance. The greater part of the day was spent by them 
on the ground, scratching amongst the manure heaps or fallen 
leaves, searching for larve, small worms, insects, grain, and 
seeds of different kinds. Like the other forms they are quite 
terrestrial in their habits. They remained till late in October, and 
an occasional specimen was met with in the more sheltered portions 
of Harney Valley, near Malheur Lake, well into November. Opera- 
tions for housekeeping were usually commenced in the latter half 
of May and throughout the beginning of June. I have, however, 
found one nest containing three fresh eggs as early as April 17, 
1877. Some pairs at least, if not all, rear two broods in a season. 
While the female is covering her eggs, the male may frequently 
be heard giving vent to his nuptial song, in the early morning 
and just before sundown. His lay, however, is rather weak and 
ofsmall compass, very much resembling that of Welospiza fusciata 
montana. He delivers it while perched onsome small twig, over- 
looking the thicket in which the nest is placed and generally close 
to it. Their usual call note is a repeated ¢z7A, ¢z/p. 
The nests of this form are bulky, but exceedingly well con- 
structed affairs. The material composing the outer body is used 
at least in a very damp, if not in a positively wet state. It is 
