256 ZOOLOGY— BIRDS. 



PASSEROULUS SAVANNA (Wils.). 

 Savanna Sparrow. 



I learn from Mr. Aiken that during the migrations the typical savanna of 

 the East occurs in nearly the same abundance as the variety alaudinus, and 

 that during the past season he found the former breeding- near Pueblo, 

 ( !ol. This is the first observation which gives this variety a summer habitat 

 so far to the west. 



POCECETES GRAMINEUS (Gm.), var. CONFINIS, Bd. 

 Grass Finch; Bay-winged Bunting'. 



Pooccetes gramineus var. confinis, Bn., Birds N. A., 1858, 44S (in text). — Coues, Key 

 ' N. A. Birds, 1872, 13(!.— Merriam, U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 1872, 680.— 

 Yarrow & Uexshaw, Rep. Oru. Specs., 1S72, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 

 14.— IIenshaw, An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., xi, 1^74, 5.— /</., Au. List Birds 

 Utah, 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 44.— Id, Rep. Oil). Specs., 1873, 

 Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 01, 80, 111.— Coues, Am. Nat., viii, 1874, 002.— 

 Id, Birds Northwest, 1874, 120. 



Pooccetes confinis, Yarrow, Rep. Oru. Specs., 1871, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 34. 



Pooccetes gramineus, Bd., U. S. & Mex. Bound. Surv., ii, pt. ii, 1850, Birds, 15. — Uenry, 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1850, 107 (New Mexico).— Coop. & Suckl., 

 P. II. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 1800, 200.— Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 

 1808, 83.— Allen, Bull. Mas. Ooinp. Zool., 1872, 177. 



Zonotrichia graminea, WooDn., Sitgreave's Exp. Zufii & Col. Riv., 1854, 84. — Newb., 

 P. R. R. Rep., vi, 1857, 88.— Heerjl, P. R. R. Rep., x, pt. ii, 1850, 47. 



This and the preceding species are perhaps the most common and gen- 

 erally distributed in the West of the sparrow tribe. They both frequent 

 much the same localities, but the Grass Finch is more constantly found on 

 the dry plains, and entirely away from the vicinity of water, and besides by 

 preference frequents the higher plateaus. 



Abundant in Southern Colorado. Nests on the ground among the 

 sage brush. Two nests were obtained in South Park, Colorado, by Dr. Roth- 

 rock. Nest a slight structure of dried grasses, lined slightly with cottony 

 substances from plants. Eggs four or five in number, of a greenish-white 

 ground color, blotched all over with light brown and obsolete markings of 

 purple, with a few black streakings. 



I have observed no differences in habit in this variety as distinguished 

 from the eastern form, and the songs of the two are quite identical, not 



