392 NE8T8 A2fD EGGS Of 



This is a larger and darlcer race of Song Sparrow inhabiting the Pacific coast 

 region from British Columbia northward. 



581g. BBOWN'S SOITa SPARBOW. Melospiza fasciata rivularis Bryant, 

 Geog. Dist. — Lower California, from Comondu northward. 



According to Mr. Walter E. Bryant this subspecies begins nest building in the 

 vicinity of Comondu, Lower California, about the middle of March. He found them 

 sitting on eggs March 12. The first nest found was on March 27. It was built less 

 than one metre above the ground in a thick growth of cat-tails, the 

 situation being quite similar to the sites chosen by Belding's Yellow- 

 throat, fSeothlypis heldingi. The nest is composed outwardly of narrow, loosely laid 

 leaves of cat-tails. The interior is first lined with' a thin coverihg of fine strips of 

 cat-tail leaves and a few fibres; over this is a thick covering of hairs. The nest is 

 like that built by the Song Sparrows. The eggs , four in number, contained large 

 embryos. They are pale, greenish white, thickly speckled and blotched with reddish 

 brown, forming a dense ring about the larger end. Mr. Bryant says: "On April 21, 

 1889, 1 found a set of three in a nest built amongst 'cat-tails' half a metre above a pool 

 of water; it has the appearance of a double nest, being about twice the usual height. 

 The eggs vary so much that they look like a composite set. Incubation was equally 

 advanced in all. They measTire 20x14.5; 19x14.5; 18.5x14 millimetres. Five other 

 specimens, two from Comondu and a set of three from San Ignacio, have an average 

 size of 19.5x15 millimetres. 



58171. SANTA BABBABA SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata yraminea 

 Townsend. Geog. Dist.-^Santa Barbara Island, and', in winter, adjacent mainland 

 of California. 



The habits, nesting and eggs of this variety of Song Sparrow do not differ 

 materially from those of its allies. A set of four eggs in my collection, together with 

 the skin of the parent bird, exhibit the same coloration as is common to the Song 

 Sparrow of the Eastern States. The average size of the four eggs is .76x.56 inches. 



581i. SAN CLEMENTE SONG SPABBOW. MeloSpiza fasciata cleinenla. 

 Townsend. Geog. Dist. — San Clemente and Santa Rosa Islands, California. 



This bird of local distribution builds a nest and lays eggs which are indis- 

 tinguishable from the last subspecies. 



581/. DAKOTA SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata juddi Bishop. Geog. 

 Dist. — Turtle Mountain and vicinity, North Dakota. 



For a description of this new subspecies Gf. Bishop, Auk, XIII, Jan. 1896, p. 132. 



58 lA;. KEBBILL'S SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata Brewster. Geog. 

 Dist. — Fort Sherman, Idaho. 



The above is the type locality of this new subspecies. Cf. Brewster, Auk, Jan. 

 1896, p. 46.) 



581. 1. BISCHOFE'S SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza insignia Baird. Geog. 

 Dist. — Kadiak. Island. Alaska. 



I have no positive knowledge concerning the habits, nests or eggs of this spe- 

 cies, which is known as the Cinereous or Kadiak Song Sparrow. 



