338 BIEDS — FRINGILLID^. 



Adults of both sexe3 with the crown pure white, enclosing on either side a broad blaek 

 stripe that meets its fellow ou the forehead and descends the lores to the level of the 

 eyes, and bounded by another black stripe that starts behind the eye and curves around 

 the side of the hind head, neaily meeting its fellow ou the nape; edge of under eyelid 

 white. Or, we may say, crown black, encluaing a median white stripe and two lateral 

 white stripes, all confluent ou the hind head. General color a tine dark ash, paler below, 

 whitening insensibly on the chin and belly, more brownish on the rump, changing to dull 

 brownish on the flanks and crissum, the middle of the back streaked with dark purplish- 

 bay and ashj- white. No bright bay, like that of albicollis, anywhere, except some edging 

 ou the wing-coverts and inner secondaries ; middle and greater coverts tipped with white, 

 forming two bars ; no yellow anywhere; bill and feet reddish. Young birds have the 

 black of the head replaced by a very rich warm brown, the white of the head by pale 

 brownish, and the general ash baa a brownish suffusion, and the back is more like 

 albicollia. 



Habitat, Eastern North America north to the Arctic region ; in the Roeky Mountain 

 region replaced by var. intermedia, and on the Pacific slope by var. gambeli. Greenland. 

 Cape St. Lucas. 



Very common spring and fall migrant, but less uniform in numbers 

 tJian the preceding species. Arrives a little later in spring and departs 

 earlier in the fall. Dr. Kirtland mentions their remaining until July 

 in the vicinity of Cleveland, in 1850. Mr. Langdon states, on the au- 

 thority of Mr. Dury, that they were abundant during Christmas week, 

 1877, in the vicinity of Cincinnati. It is found in the same localities 

 as the White-throated Sparrow, though oftener seen along the borders of 

 fields than in woodland. In the fall it is less common, and irregular, 

 frequenting high weeds on the banks of streams Usually its song is 

 not heard, but in seasons when they appear in very considerable num- 

 bers, and remain late, as in the spring of 1875, it is a constant singer. 

 Like the preceding, its notes are very soft and sweet, a rather slow and 

 mournful rendering of the syllables and melody of the old song, Oh, 

 de dr, dedr, ivhat can the. matter be f Sometimes a dozen may be heard sing- 

 ing on the borders of a single field. 



The large size, contrasted colors of its head, with plain body colors, 

 neat, trim form, with a martial aspect which it sometimes wears, render 

 it an attractive and rather imposing bird. 



The White-crowned Sparrow seems to be rather more northern in its 

 summer distribution than the White- throated. In but two instances, at 

 Rutland, Vermont, and Potsdam, New York, do I find it recorded as 

 breeding in the United States east of the mountains of Colorado. 



The nest is placed upon the ground, built of weeds and grass, with a 

 lining of fine grass. The eggs are usually four, pale bluish-green, thickly 

 spotted, especially about the larger end, with reddish-brown. They meas- 

 ure about .92 by .70. 



