154 Z. LEUCOPHRYS, WHITE-CROWNED SPAEEOW. 



ZONOTRICHIA LEUCOPHRYS, (Forst.) Sw. 



White-crowned Sparrow. 



Emberiza lencopTii-ya, Foest., Philoa. Tr. Ixii, 1772, 382. 403, 426.— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 

 874.— WiLS., Am. Orn. iv, 1811, 49, pi. 31, f. 4. 



Fiingilla leucoj>lmjs, Bp., Syu. 182«, 107.— KuTT.. MaD. i, 1832, 479.— AuD., Orn. Biog. ii, 

 1834, 8d; v, 1839, 51.5; pi. 114.— Ai^D., Syu. 1839, 121.— Ace, B. Am. iii, 1841, 

 1.37, pi. 192. — PuTN., Pr. Ess. iDSt. Iri56, 211 (Essex County, Mass., very rare, 

 Slay and Sept.). — Teippe, ibid, vi, Ic'l, 116 (Mluuesota, common, breeding). 



Fiingilla (Zonoiricliia) Icucophrys, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 255. 



Zonotrichia lencophrys, Bp., List, 1838, 32; Consp. Av. i, 1850, 478.— Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 

 1853, 84 (Indian Territory, Texas, New Mexico; but mixes it with var. inter- 

 media). — Kexx., p. E. R. Re]), (error for (Htemcdia ?).—Bd., Pr. Phila. Acad. 1659, 

 p. — (Cape St. Lucas!). — Reish., Ibis, iii, 1861, 7 (Greenland, breediug). — 

 Wheat., Ohio Agric. Rep. I860.— Col'es, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1861, 223 (Labrador, 

 abiiudant, breeding).— Hayd., Eep. 18C2, 166. — CouES & Pkent., Smiths. Rep. 

 1861, (1862), 412 (Washington, D. C^ winter, until May 10, rare and irregular). — 

 BoAEDM., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix, 1862, 126 (Calais, Me., not common). — Vere., Pr. 

 Ess. Inst, iiij 151 (Norway, Me., spring and fall, rare). — Aeeex, Pr. Ess. Inst, 

 iv, 1864,71 (Springfield, Mass., rare in springand autumn, " possibly breeds "). — 

 —Codes, ibid, v, 1868, 282.— CocES, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 115 (South Caro- 

 lina, Oct. to Apr., not common). — Lawe., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1868, 286. — 

 Allen, Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1868, 517 (Northern Illinois, May, quite common). — 

 TuBNB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 22 (Sept. to May, rather rare).— Mayn., Guide, 1870, 

 118 (Massachusetts, very rare migi-ant). — M.vyn., Pr. Bost. Soc. xiv, 1871 

 (common, and breeding at Quebec; various New England localities). — Stev., 

 U. S.Geol.Surv.Ter. 1870,464 (Wyoming).— Meer., iftid. 1872, 681 (Montana).- 

 Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870 (Cape St. Lucas, in winter). — Allex, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 

 lb72, 156, 163, 177 (mountains of Colorado, to above timber-line, in July). — 

 Aiken, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1872, 200 (Slierman, Wvo. ; "common wherever there is 

 brush").— Coi:es, Key, 1872, 144.— B. B. & R.] N. A B., i, 1874, 566, pi. 25, f. 9, 10. 



(?) Spizella maxima, Bp., Comp. Rend. 1853, — . 



Hab. — Eastern North America to the Rocky Mountains. Greenland (Reinhardt). 

 Cape St. Lucas in winter (Xantus). Not given by Allen among winter birds of Florida, 

 nor by Dall and Bannister as occurring in Alaska. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 4794, Vermilion Eiver; 5403, Knife River; 9238, 

 Black Hills. 



Later Expeditions.— 598S2-6, Colorado ; 60656-9, 62301-2, Wyoming ; 62300, Montana. 



Not obtained by Captain Kaynolds' Expedition. 



Like other naturalists who have visited the forbidding shores of Lab- 

 rador, I found the White-crowned Sparrow one of the most abundant of 

 the summer birds of that country. Labrador and Newfoundland, 

 indeed, appear to be the principal breeding resorts of the species along 

 the Eastern coast. The nest appears to be always placed on the ground ; 

 the situations generally selected are thick patches of low heath, and the 

 still more dense growths of scrubby conifers. It is composed chiefly of 

 mosses, but lined with a quantity of very line dried grasses or rootlets, 

 set evenly round and round. The eggs are four or Hve in number, 

 about seven-eighths of an inch long, and pale greenish, speckled and 

 blotched, particularly toward the larger end, with brown and neutral 

 tint. The descriptions of some of the earlier authors are certainly erro- 

 neous, probably relating to the egg of the Tit-lark, which breeds abun- 

 dantly with the White-crowned Sparrow, and, like it, builds a mossy 

 nest on the ground. I found nestlings but a few day.s old the last week 

 iu July ; these were perhaps of a second brood, as many birds of the 

 year were flj ing about the same time. The southward migration begins, 

 according to Audubon, as early as the middle of August; this state- 

 ment is continued by the presence of the birds in New England, and 

 even in the Middle States, in September. The migration is very exten- 

 sive, the birds scattering all over the United States, and wintering as 

 far north, at least, as Maryland. Audubon says that they pass beyond 

 Texas; but M does not appear to have made any personal observation 

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