• SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 339 



AS far south as Georgia, passing the winter in the Southern 

 States and retiring early in the spring to its favorite boreal 

 retreats. These Sparrows are silent birds, rather tame and 

 unsuspicious; when alarmed or separated their call is simply 

 skep, shep; yet at times in the spring, a little before their 

 departure, they whisper forth a few low and sweet notes indi- 

 cative of the existence of vocal powers in the pairing season. 



According to Richardson this species breeds in the woody 

 districts of the fur countries up to the 68th parallel. 



Nuttall was correct in his conjecture that the Fox Sparrow is a 

 vocalist. It ranks as a peer of the best songsters of the entire 

 Sparrow- Finch tribe. 



I have heard the song frequently in New Brunswick, when cold 

 storms have detained the birds on their journey north until the 

 approach of their mating season. Sometimes they arrive there 

 early in March, and pass on in a couple of weeks, without uttering 

 any other note than a metallic cheep. But when they tarry until 

 after the first week in April they then burst into full song, and 

 sing almost continuously. It is a "fervent, sensuous, and withal 

 perfectly rounded carol," writes William Brewster; and he adds: 

 " It expresses careless joy and exultant masculine vigor rather than 

 the finer shades of sentiment." The voice is strong, of wide com- 

 pass, and sweet, rich tone. 



Nests of this species have been found on the Magdalen Islands 

 and in Newfoundland, where it is called the Hedge Sparrow, and 

 Thompson reports it breeding in numbers on Duck Mountain in 

 Manitoba. 



SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 



SNOW BIRD. WHITE BILL. 

 JUNCO HYEMALIS. 



Char. Male : upper parts, neck, and breast dark slate or blackish 

 ash ; belly white ; outer tail-feathers and bill, white. Female ; similar, 

 but upper parts browner, breast paler. Length 6^ to 6^ Inches. 



Nest. In grassy woodland, or old meadow, or by the roadside, some- 

 times in the garden of a farm-house ; sheltered by a mound or stump, or 

 amid long gra.ss ; composed, usually, of grass, sometimes mixed with 

 roots or moss ; lined with feathers, hair, fur, or moss. 



