1913] Grinnell-Sivarth : Birds and Mammals of San Jacinto 275 



one hundred feet from the gound, where he sang for .some time 

 before descending to the brush beneath ; but these are exceptional 

 cases. 



The song is a brief series of notes run together rapidly, the 

 series repeated at irregular intervals, as often as fifteen seconds 

 apart, but with occasional lapses of many minutes. All the notes 

 of the series are on apparently nearly the same pitch. But the 

 first three at least, which are uttered with relative deliberation 

 and distinctness, are of rising inflection; the rest of the series 

 are uttered so rapidly that individual intonation is lost. To 

 describe the sequence in other words, the first note of the series 

 receives most stress, the rest successively less stress until the 

 last ones are scarcely distinguishable to the ear. The pitch is 

 very high, wiry, but not loud or piercing. The general impression 

 is of a weak song. It certainly does not carry far; on the con- 

 trary, a bird may be singing close at hand, and give the impres- 

 sion of great distance. 



If comparisons be made, we should say that in length of song, 

 and frequency of repetition, the black-chinned sparrow is like 

 the Lazuli bunting; in sequence of notes, uniformity of pitch, 

 and increasing rapidity of utterance it is like the wren-tit ; in 

 rising inflection of each of the first few notes of the series it 

 is like the canon wren ; in high-pitched quality of tone and 

 general weakness it resembles the western gnatcatcher. The song 

 <>i' the eastern field sparrow, according to memory, most nearly 

 resembles that of the black-chinned sparrow. 



Aside from the song of the male, the only other vocalization 

 possessed by the black-chinned sparrow, is the chipping sparrow T - 

 like "chit" of both sexes, usually low but sharp, and as an 

 expression of alarm, intensified. 



The upward limit of the species in the San Jacinto Moun- 

 tains during the breeding season appeared to be about 6000 feet, 

 just at the lower edge of Transition. They were encountered 

 at about this altitude at Fuller's Mill, and near Garnet Queen 

 Mine. That this species evinces the tendency, common to many 

 low zone birds, to invade higher altitudes in late summer, was 

 demonstrated by the capture of an immature specimen in Tah- 

 quitz Valley, 8000 feet, on July 26. 



