WHITE-CKOWNED SPARROW. 155 



to that effect, and I cannot lay my hand on a Mexican quotation. I can 

 hardly understand the scarcity — much less the inegularity — of the 

 occurrence of the birds along the Atlantic States, considering the num- 

 bers that breed to the northward, unless the migration is performed 

 obliquely and in the interior. At Washington, lor example, I found 

 that they were not to be depended upon at ail. Dr. Prentiss and I used 

 to look for them in October, and especially in April, and some years we 

 found a good many, while at others there appeared to be none at all. 

 They seemed, on the whole, more frequent in spring than in the fall, and 

 all those we secured were in breeding dress. Tliey remained some- 

 times until the second week in May ; frequented the same situUions as 

 the White-throats, often associating with them, and showing very simi- 

 lar traits. 



I have not met with any authentic record of this bird breeding along 

 the Atlantic, in the United States, not even in Northern Xew England, 

 where some might be expected to pass the summer, and where, indeed, 

 they may yet be found. Mr. Cooper gives a Quebec reference. In the 

 West, however, the case is different. According to Mr. Trippe, they 

 breed in Minnesota ; and Mr. Allen gives the particularly interesting 

 instance of occurrence higli in the mountains of Colorado in July — a 

 date that leaves no reasonable donbt of their breeding in that elevated 

 locality. The parallelism between the present case and that of the 

 Tit-lark, already mentioned, is here extended and perfected. Beyond 

 this point the species is less easily traced, for it directly becomes mixed 

 up with var. intermedia. Dr. Kennerly has, however, noted the occur- 

 rence of Icticophrys in Western Arizona; while Prof. Baird records it 

 from Cape St. Lucas. I am somewhat surprised not to tind the species 

 in Dall's List, and think it will yet be detected in Alaska. 



The song of this species bears a close, general resemblance, to that of 

 the White-throat, but is, nevertheless, instantly distinguishable. It is 

 a less enterprising vocal elfort, of only five or six syllables, like pee, dee, 

 dedede, the two first long drawn, rising, the rest hurried and lowering. 

 Unlike the White-throat, this species has no evident sexual color-mark- 

 ings, the female sharing with the male the pure black and white of the 

 crown; the young, however, have the black replaced by rich, warm 

 brown. 



A single specimen of this species was obtained at Leavenworth, Kan- 

 sas, by Sir. Allen, who says that in the mountains of Colorado it was 

 frequent in all favorable localities from about 8,000 feet up to above 

 timber-line. "It was one of the most abundant birds met with along 

 the northern and western borders of South Park, but was nowhere more 

 numerous than at the uijper verge of the timber on the Snowy Eange., 

 It is essentially a woodland species." 



The following interesting notice is communicated by Mr. Trippe : 

 " This Sparrow appears in the lower valleys of Clear Creek County, Colo- 

 rado, in the first or second week of May, and soon becomes ^ery abundant, 

 frequenting the shrubby banks of the streams, and occasionally ventur- 

 ing some distance upon the hill-sides, but, as a rnle, keeping close to the 

 brooks and creeks. As the snow disappears it ascends higher and 

 higher, reaching timber-line by the middle of June, and going up to the 

 extreme limit of the willows and junipers, being nowhere more abun- 

 dant than in those dense thickets that shut the upper edge ot the tim- 

 ber. By far the gi-eater number pass the breeding season there, but a 

 few nest lower down, as far as 8,500 feet, below which it does not occur 

 during summer. In habits, during the breeding season, it resembles 

 the tiong Sparrow, seeking its food in the grass and among the dry 



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