384 Birds of Colorado 
Habits.—The Sage-Sparrow shares the desolate sage- 
brush plains with the Desert-Sparrow, and is common 
enough in suitable localities; it is very shy and runs 
quickly, with its tail erected vertically, like that of a 
Wren ; its only note is a chirp, according to Henshaw, 
but Vernon Bailey states that during the breeding season 
“the sage-brush fairly rings with their simple but ex- 
quisitely sweet song.” There is no definite information 
of their breeding habits in Colorado, but elsewhere the 
nest is placed low down in a bush and constructed chiefly 
of sage-brush, bark and dry grass; the eggs, three or 
four, are greenish-white, speckled chiefly at the larger 
end with reddish and darker brown. 
Genus PEUCAEA. 
Small Sparrow-like forms—wing under 3-0—with moderate conical 
bills ; wing short and rounded, hardly extending beyond the base 
of the tail; the ninth (outer) primary usually between the fourth and 
third ; tail long, about the same length as the wing, sometimes slightly 
longer and very distinctly graduated, the outer tail-feathers falling 
short of the longest by -25 to -50 inch. Plumage streaked or scaly 
above, plain below ; edge of the wing yellow. 
This genus, following Coues, includes three species ranging over the 
southern United States and Mexico. One species only has been found 
in Colorado. 
Cassin’s Sparrow. Peucea cassini. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 578—Colorado Records—Warren 05, p. 417; 
06, p. 23 ; Hersey & Rockwell 07, p. 191. 
Description.—Male—Above dark chestnut-brown, the feathers edged 
with grey, those of the back and rump with subterminal marks of black ; 
wings dusky brown, most of the feathers with paler edges ; shoulder 
and edge of the wing yellow ; middle tail-feathers greyish with a median 
darker stripe with serrated edges; below white, washed with pale 
brown across the breast and on the flanks, the latter streaked with 
dusky. Length 5-10; wing 2-55 ; tail 2-50; culmen -40; tarsus -70. 
These measurements are taken from a moulting bird in which the 
old tail-feathers had not been shed ; the tail should average slightly 
longer than the wings. The sexes are alike. 
Distribution.— Breeding in the arid districts of western North America 
from western Kansas and southern Nevada to northern Mexico. 
