ECOLOGY OF ISLE ROY ALE. 367 



mat on the cool earth were favorite feeding grounds. They were often 

 associated together in small flocks of six or eight, the young as a rule 

 outnumbering the adults. Their food apparently consisted largely of 

 fallen seeds and small insects which they found under the ground 

 rubbish by vigorous scratching, much like a barn-yard fowl. We found 

 the White-throats rather timid, and when first startled they usually 

 dived into the nearest thicket, soon to appear, however, if no further 

 move was made, as if forgetful of our presence. Throughout the breed- 

 ing season and even during September their plaintive song could be 

 heard at almost any hour of the day and often in the night. It was 

 usually rendered from some low branch or pile of brush ; and in fact the 

 birds were seldom found above the lower branches, the major part of 

 their time being spent on the ground. In flight the White-throats closely 

 resemble the Song Sparrow, flying low for short distances dropping 

 suddenly out of sight. 



Breeding Notes: On July 7 several young White-throated Sparrows, 

 just able to fly, were seen with their parents at the edge of a clearing. 

 A nest containing the nearly full fledged young was found in the grassy 

 marsh around Summer Lake (HI, 5) July 17. It was placed in a 

 bunch of grass at the foot of an alder, and consisted entirely of dried 

 grasses. The nest was placed about a foot above the water. Another 

 nest was found July 18 in a tussock of grass at the foot of a willow 

 bush. It was held about a foot above the water as was the previous 

 one. The edge of the lake was only a couple of feet away, and a wave 

 would have destroyed it had there been heavy winds. The forest was 

 about two rods distant. Foirr bluish-white eggs heavily and irregu- 

 larly spotted with brown were found in the nest, which was composed 

 entirely of grasses. Many T^^hite-throats were heard in this habitat. 

 Young able to fly and take care of themselves were seen throughout our 

 stay at all parts of the island. 



67. Spisella socialis (560). Chipping Sparrow. 



Range: Eastern North America, west to the Rocky Mountains, north 

 to Great Slave Lake, and south to eastern Mexico, breeding from the 

 Gulf States northward. 



Stations : Rock: Harbor, natural rock clearings, I, 2 ; Open Balsam- 

 Spruce forest, I, 3. 

 Siskowit Bay, Trail through Balsam-birch forest, V, 4; 



Outlet of Siskowit Lake, V, 9. 

 Washington Harbor, Clearing, I, '04. Border of forest 

 along roads and river, II, '04. 



Breeding: Chipping Sparrow and nest seen July 20. 



Migration: These sparrows were seen throughout our sojourn on 

 the island, but were migrating; those seen one day might be replaced 

 by new flocks from the north the next. 



The Chipping Sparrow was only abundant during the migrations; at 

 other times it was of very local distribution, and occurred in limited 

 numbers. The dense coniferous forest is unsuited to this sparrow, and 

 this fact probably explains its comparative absence at Siskowit Bay 

 camp where the clearings were very limited. They were usually found 

 in pairs or families until the middle of August, when they collected 

 into flocks numbering from a dozen or so to fifty or sixty. 



