THE GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. 



{Zonotrichia coronata.) 



Oh, minstrel of these borean hi-lls, 



Where twilight hours are long, 

 I would my boyhood's fragrant days 



Had known thy plaintive song. 



Had known thy vest of ashen gray, *- 



Thy coat of drab and brown, 

 The bands of jet upon thy head 



That clasp thy golden crown. 

 — John Burroughs, "The Golden Crown Sparrow of Alaska." 



It is very disappointing to the lover of 

 the beaatiful in nature that the exquisite 

 Golden-crowned Sparrow is content to 

 remain in so small an area as its range 

 covers. One need hardly wonder, how- 

 ever, that it is attracted to that narrow 

 strip of country lying along the Pacific 

 coast from Alaska to Southern Califor- 

 nia. ■ There this Sparrow finds on the 

 foot-hills and on the sides of the ravines 

 and canyons a luxurious growth of 

 shrubbery unmarred by the hand of man. 

 There, also, unmolested in the quiet soli- 

 tude of nature, it finds an abundant sup- 

 ply of food. In the northern portion of 

 its range, the Golden-crowned Sparrow 

 builds its home in localities of which Mr. 

 Burroughs has beautifully written. 



Far off behold the snow-white peaks 



Athwart the sea's blue shade ; 

 Anear there rise green Kadiak hills, 



Wherein thy nest is made. 



It is a shy bird during the breeding 

 season, but later on, when with its young 

 and its only care is that of obtaining 

 food, it becomes more fearless and will 

 often visit the vicinity of dwellings. It 

 resembles the white-crowned sparrow of 

 eastern North America, but may be easily 

 distinguished from that bird by its golden 

 crown. During the cooler months, it 

 associates with the white-crowned spar- 

 row, though it is much less familiar, and 

 not as inclined to visit inhabited local- 

 ities. 



Observers describe the nest of the 

 Golden-crowned Sparrow as being com- 

 posed of the ''coarse stalks of weeds, and 

 lined internally with fine roots." ]\Ir. E. 



W. Nelson says that "Its breeding 

 ground" in Alaska "is in the alder 

 patches along the hillsides, where the 

 various bush-loving species make their 

 homes in the matted thickets, well pro- 

 tected from birds of prey and most other 

 foes by an almost impenetrable wall of 

 gnarled and twisted branches. On the 

 Shumagin Islands, just south of the 

 Alaskan peninsula, it is common and 

 breeds ; but west of this, on the Aleutian 

 chain — as upon the various other islands 

 in Bering Sea — it is unknown, its absence 

 being easily accounted for by the bare 

 and unattractive character of these 

 islands." 



Many observers speak of its song as 

 only an occasional "chirp." During the 

 spring and autumn migrations, the 

 Golden-crowned Warbler passes through 

 the states of Oregon and Washington. 

 Writing of its appearance in those states, 

 Mr. William Rogers Lord says : "Many 

 persons will observe a sparrow, beautiful 

 to the eye and, should the occasional 

 song be heard, charming to the ear." 

 Joseph Grinnell in his "Birds of the Kot- 

 zebue Sound Region, Alaska," speaks of 

 "their extremely sad, quavering song of 

 two syllables." Mr. Burroughs was in- 

 spired by its song to write, 



I hear the wild bee's mellow chord, 



In airs that swim above; 

 The lesser hermit tunes his flute 



To solitude and love. 



But thou, sweet singer of the wild, 



I give more heed to thee ; 

 Thy wistful note of fond regret 



Strike deeper' chords in me. 



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