NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 307 



is found only in winter — hence the name, Winter Chip-bird, by which 

 it is known. It breeds in Labrador and the region about Hudson 

 Bay. The nest is described as being placed in trees or bushes or on 

 the ground, and composed of grasses, mud, fine rootlets and hair. The 

 eggs have no similarity to those of the Chipping Sparrow. They 

 are light green, flecked with minute markings of reddish-brown, dis- 

 tributed with great regularity over the surface but so sparsely as to 

 leave the ground distinctly visible ; on the whole somewhat resembling 

 the eggs of the Song Sparrow, with endless variations ; four or five in 

 number; size, . Sox. 60. 



559a. Spizella monticftla ocliracea Brewst. [210, part] 



Western Tree Sparrow. 



Hab. Western North America, breeding in Alasl<a, wintering in Western United States, south to 

 Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. 



A paler colored Tree Sparrow which breeds in Alaska and south- 

 ward to an undetermined latitude. Nesting and eggs in nowise peculiar. 

 Eggs, .78X.55. 



560. Spizella soclalls (Wils.) [211.] 



Chipping Sparrow. 



Hab. Eastern North America, north to Great Slave Lake, west to the Plains, south into Eastern 

 Mexico. 



Nearly everybody knows this familiar little bird as Chippy, Chip- 

 bird, or Hair-bird. The latter name is given it from the fact that its 

 nest is for the most part, composed of horse hair, with a slight founda- 

 tion of fine grass and vegetable fibres. The breeding season is usually 

 in May and June. The nest is built anywhere in bushes, hedges, trees 

 of any size, and almost in any situation. In exceptional cases it has 

 been found built on the ground. The same pair of birds if unmolested 

 will return and breed in the vicinity of their former nest year after 

 year. Three or four eggs are laid, rarely five, bluish-green, sparsely 

 spotted with blackish-brown and purplish, sometimes in a circle about 

 the larger end. Ten eggs selected on account of their sizes measure : 

 .60X .50, .62 X .52, .65 X .52, .69 X .50, .69 X .53, .71 X .54, .yolx .50, .72 X .51, 



•67X.50, .73X.52. 



560a. Spizella socialis arizonse Coues. [211a.] 



'Western Chipping Sparrow. 



Hab, Western North America, east to Rocky Mountains; in summer north to beyond 60°; south in 

 winter to southern Me.xico. 



Eggs in my collection of this paler western sub-species do not 

 seem to differ essentially from those of socialis. Nesting the same. 



561. Spizella pallida (Swains.) [212.] 



Clay-oolored Sparrow^. 



Hab. Interior regions of North America from Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, west to base of 

 Rocky Mountains, north to the Saskatchewan, south to Texas and New Mexico; in winter to Lower Cali- 

 fornia and Mexico. 



The Clay-colored Sparrow breeds from Northern Illinois and 



