386 NESTS AND JHUGS OF 



Mr. Bryant found this Snowbird common on Guadalupe Island, inhabiting the 

 palm, pine and cypress groves. The birds mated early, soon after the first of the 

 year, and were incubating by the 26th of January. A nest found March 10, contained 

 four young, hatched but a few days before. It was placed in a depression, flush 

 with the surface of the ground, and concealed by a covering of brush. Full fledged 

 young were taken March 16; also a nest with three fresh eggs. This nest was placed 

 in the cleft of a pine tree, which grew near the edge of a precipice. It was com- 

 posed of a few pieces of bark-moss, light-colored dry grass blades, and 

 a tail feather of a petrel, lined within with goat-hair. The three eggs 

 whiih the nest contained, Mr. Bryant says, were probably the second setting, judging 

 from the ragged appearance of the female, indicating previous cares. Their color is 

 a pale greenish-white, marked with fine dots of reddish-brown clustered around the 

 larger end. They measure 19.5x15, 20x15.5, 20x16 millimeters.* 



573. BLACK-THBOATED SPABBOW. Amphispiza bilineata (Cass.) Geog. 

 Dist. — Southwestern United States — Texas to Lower California — south into Mexico, 

 north in the interior to Nevada, Utah and western portions of Colorado. 



The Black-throated Sparrow is an inhabitant of the southwestern portion of the 

 United States from Western Texas to the Pacific. Mr. Wm. Lloyd found it breeding 

 in Western Texas, nesting in the cat-claw or chapparal bushes. Nests were found 

 May 6 and 13, June 12, and July 13 containing fresh eggs, indicating that the bird 

 rears at least two broods in a season. Mr. Scott notes this species as a common 

 resident in the foothill region of the Catalinas and also about Tucson, breeding com- 

 monly at both points generally at considerable elevation. At an altitude of 4500 feet 

 In the Catalina region the breeding season begins early in March and continues well 

 into the latter part of the summer. The nests he states are built near the ground 

 in some low bush or cactus, and occasionally on the ground. The eggs. are three to 

 five, three or four being the general complement. Mr. Sennett secured several sets 

 of eggs of this species at Lomita, on the Lower Rio Grande, in April. Mr. Davis in- 

 forms me that he took two sets of the Black-throated Sparrow's eggs in Eastland 

 county, Texas, in June; one set was far advanced in incub^ation, the other on the 

 14th was fresh. In color the eggs are plain bluish-white, and average in size, 

 .70X.51. 



574. BELL'S SFABBOW. Amphispiza helli (Cass.) Geog. Dist.— California, 

 south to Cape St. Lucas. 



An abundant bird in all the thickets tliroughout Southern California. The 

 nests are built in bushes and composed of grass stems and vegetable fibres, lined 

 ■with hair. The nesting season is in May and June. Eggs three or four in number 

 to a set, pale greenish-blue, finely dotted and speckled chiefly at the larger end with 

 cinnamon and dark reddish-brown. The average size of six specimens is .74x.60 

 inches. 



574a. SAGE SFABBOW. Amphispiza belU nevadensis (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist. — 

 Artemisia Plains of Western United States, north to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming 

 Territories, east to Colorado and New Mexico, south to interior of Southern Cali- 

 fornia, and Northern Mexico. 



This bird abounds in the sage-brush deserts of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and 

 Arizona. Nests found near Carson City, Nevada, are described as being artfully con- 



• .77X.59, .79X.61, .79X.63. 



