BIRDS OF COLORADO. 107 



581b. Melospiza fasciata montana. Mountain Song 

 Sparrow. 



Summer resident; common. It might be called resident, 

 since a few breed on the plains and in mild winters a few re- 

 main all the year. Common throughout the State in migration 

 and not uncommon as a breeder from the plains to 8,000 feet. 

 Breeds more commonly at the upper limit of its range. Arrives 

 late in March. 



583. Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln's Sparrow. 



_ Summer resident; common. An abundant species in mi- 

 gration both on the plains and in the mountains. Breeds in 

 the mountains from 7,000 feet to timber-line and occasionally 

 to the base of the foothills. Most common during the summer 

 months at or near timber-line. Arrives last of April or early in 

 May andby the last of May has left the plains for the north or 

 gone up into the mountains. Breeds late in June and descends 

 to the plains again the first half of October, leaving the State 

 about the first of November. 



585c. Passerella iliaca schistacea. Slate-colored Spar- 

 row. 



Summer resident ; rare. The status of this species as a 

 Colorado bird is very unsatisfactory. Ridgway makes the un- 

 equivocable statement that it breeds in Colorado along "streams 

 of the mountain parks." (Bull. Essex Inst. V. 1873, 183.) The 

 basis for this statement cannot now be ascertained and it has 

 not been confirmed by later observers. Indeed this is the only 

 record the bird has for Colorado. It has been commonly sup- 

 posed that the type specimen of this variety was taken in Colo- 

 rado and this is so stated by Bendire in his Life Histories of 

 North American Birds. The present writer is indebted to Prof 

 T. S. Palmer, of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, 

 for the information that the specimen in question was taken by 

 Lieut. Bryan's party July 19, 1859, in Nebraska, about 20 miles 

 east of the Colorado line. 



588. Pipilo maculatus arcticus. Arctic Towhee. 



Winter resident; not uncommon. It is somewhat difficult 

 to draw the line between arcticus and megalonyx in Colorado. 

 According to the best light obtainable at the present time, those 

 birds should be referred to arcticus that occur on the plains east 

 of the mountains during fall, winter and spring as migrants 

 from the north ; and that all breeding birds, should be referred 

 to megalonyx. Arcticus arrives from the north early in Octo- 

 ber and remains until April. Occurs from middle Kansas to 

 the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. 



