lOO BIRDS OF COLORADO. 



1895, 90.) It had, however, been gradually approaching the 

 mountains for several years previous. It reached Denver during 

 the summer of 1896, and there are probably less than twenty pairs 

 of these sparrows now (March, 1897) in that city, where in ten 

 years from now there will be as many thousands. The Sparrow 

 has reached the Rocky Mountains by following the lines of rail- 

 road westward. It is not rare in the towns along the Union 

 Pacific and Burlington roads in northern Colorado, to within 

 fifty miles of the mountains, and it is a question of but a few 

 years before they will over-run all of the country east of the 

 foothills. They have not increased very rapidly so far in the 

 State. At Las Animas, on the Arkansas River, where they have 

 been for about four years, there are probably not more than ten 

 pairs in the town and none in the country outside the city limits. 

 Their habits here are the same as in the east. It will be in- 

 teresting to note the result of the rivalry in Colorado of this bird 

 and the House Finch {Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis). This 

 latter bird has for years occupied the place in Colorado that the 

 English Sparrow does farther east. Over the eastern half of 

 the United States, the English Sparrow has not had to contend 

 with any species of habits similar to its own. In Colorado, at 

 the base of the mountains, it meets its first real foe. Time will 

 tell which will be victorious. 



534. Plectrophenax nivalis. Snowplake. 



Winter visitant; rare. Comes to the plains region of 

 northeastern Colorado during the winter season, but never in 

 large numbers and not regularly. Has been taken at Fort 

 Collins, Loveland, Boulder and Denver. C. F. Morrison records 

 one from I,a Plata County March i. This is the only record 

 from west of the range. 



536. Calcarius lapponicus. Lapland Longspur. 



Winter resident ; common. Enters Colorado from the 

 north in October and remains through the winter. When it 

 first arrives it passes up into the lower mountain parks, but in 

 severe weather it is confined to the plains extending to southern 

 Colorado. Breeds far north. 



538. Calcarius ornatus. Chestnut-collared Longspur. 



Summer resident, rare; winter resident, not common; in 

 migration, common. Has been taken during the winter at 

 Fort Collins, Loveland, Boulder, Pueblo, Fort Lyon, and Allen 

 and Brewster saw a flock at Colorado Springs as late as May 9. 

 No records from west of the range. Breeds regularly in North- 

 ern United States and British America. Given by Ridgway 

 as breeding in Colorado, though the present writer can find no 

 authority for the statement. Known to breed in Wyoming and 

 Nebraska just over the Colorado line. 



