378 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



554. WHITE-CROWNED SPABBOW. Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.) Geog. 

 Dist.— ^North America at large; breeds northward; south in winter, to the Southern 

 United States, and south to Mexico. 



Tliis is probably the most beautiful of our Sparrows. It winters In the Gulf 

 States and southward, migrating northward in spring to its breeding grounds, which 

 are in the higher mountain ranges of Western United States — Sierra Nevada and 

 Rocky Mountains, and eastward north of the Great Lakes, to Newfoundland and 

 Labrador. In Colorado this species nests in June and July, often raising two broods 

 In a season. The bird is chiefly a ground builder, but nests are found in bushes a 

 few feet above the ground. Mr. Elmer J. Gillette makes record of a nest of the 

 White-crowned Sparrow which he found in Orleans county, New York. In "The 

 Ornithologist and Botanist" he notes the following: "We sometimes think this little 

 sparrow will spend the summer with us, for he stays until many of the small birds 

 have built their nests and laid their eggs. In fact, on one occasion, I found a nest 

 of this sparrow, which contained four fresh eggs. The nest was placed in a berry 

 bush about two feet from the ground. It was composed principally of the stalks of 

 small weeds, roots, coarse grass and other coarse material. The lining consisted al- 

 most entirely of fine grass, hair and strips of bark. The nest resembles, very closely 

 the nest of the Song Sparrow, but somewhat smaller. The eggs also were smaller, and 

 about the same color as the Song Sparrow's. The nest was not more than 20 rods from 

 my house and the birds appeared to be very tame. This is the only nest of this species 

 that I ever founu, and I never knew of another nest being found in this locality." A 

 set of four eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken July 1, 1883, near Hancock, Col. The 

 nest was on the ground and was composed of grasses, etc. The eggs are pale 

 greenish-blue, speckled and spotted with bay; the markings are much heavier and 

 thicker near the larger ends; sizes, .87x.64, .89x.63, .91x.65, .93x.58. The number of 

 eggs is stated to be four or five, and are said to resemble those of the Song Sparrow, 

 except in size, some being heavily and distinctly marked. 



554a. INTERMEDIATE SPARROW. Zonotrichia leucoplirys intermedia 

 Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western North America from the Rocky Mountain region to 

 the Pacific; in winter, south throughout Western United States into Mexico. 



The Intermediate White-crowned Sparrow breeds in the far north — throughout 

 Alaska (except the coast east and south of the peninsula) and eastward through the 

 Mackenzie River region. The eggs are described as similar to those of Z. leucophrys, 

 but the more cinnamon or rusty colored style predominates. 



5546. GAMBEL'S SPARROW. Zonotrichia leucoplirys gambelii (Nutt.) Geog. 

 Dist^ — Pacific coast region from Southern California north to British Columbia. 



In California Gamble's White-crowned Sparrow breeds near the. coast, building 

 the nest in trees, bushes, and in thick clumps of weeds. It is quite bulky, and com- 

 posed externally of weed stems, and fine dry grasses on the inside. Three to five eggs 

 are laid, commonly three or four. Mr. Norris has a set of four collected by A. M. 

 Ingersoll near Alameda, California, April 2, 1885. Their ground color is pale green- 

 ish-blue, spotted and splashed with liver-brown; sizes, .88x.65, .88x.64, .88x.64, .94x.68. 

 A set of four taken by the same collector exhibits the following measurements: .88x 

 .63, .90X.66, .94X.67, .88x.64. 



* Manual N. A. Birds, p. 415. 



