coirect appellation. The liveliness of this SpaiTOw, its excellent song, its dexterous 

 flight, its abundance, and, in many localities, its confidence in man, combine to make it 

 one of the most valuable of»our southern birds. As it easily accustoms itself to cage life, 

 bird fanciers in this country and Europe are very fond of it. Like most members of 

 the Spizellinee, it becomes very tame, is easily kept, sings finely, and its plumage always 

 looks smooth and trim. For the aviary it is not adapted, as it soon becomes the tyrant 

 of all the other inmates, chasing eyen such large birds as Cardinals, almost incessantly 

 around in the cage. All the other members of this sub-family are exceedingly peaceful 

 and harmless. Kept singly, it sings from March to September almost without interrup- 

 tion. Prof Ridgway says, that at Sacramento, Cal., young birds readily sell for four 

 dollars a pair. 



I have kept quite a number of Lark Sparrows in the cage, and observed that, like 

 all members of the sub-family Spizellinse, their wants are easily supplied. A mixture of 

 millet, Canary seed, natural rice, lettuce, wild portulacca, etc., forms the main diet, while 

 they also get accustomed to a mixture of Mockingbird food and crated carrots. Meal- 

 worms are highly relished, and so are grasshoppers and other insects. Some of my cage 

 pets were so intent upon these and other insects, that they took them from my hand 

 without hesitation. 



The Lark Sparrow in different sections of the country is known by different names. 

 From its running in the grass, with lowered head like a Quail, it received the name "Quail- 

 head," and from the habit of running along the road it is called in some places the 

 "Road-bird." According to Prof. Ridgway, the Utah boys call it the "Snake-bird," from 

 the supposed resemblance of its striped head to that of a snake. In Texas it is some- 

 times called the "American House Sparrow," "Prairie Sparrow," "Cotton-bird," and 

 "Texas Song Sparrow." V 



The Western Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus strigatus Ridgw., inhabits 

 the Western United States, east to the Great Plains and middle Texas, south over 

 table-lands of Mexico. 



NAMES: Lark Sparrow, Lark Finch, Quail-head, Road-bird, American House Sparrow (Texas), Cotton- 

 bird, Prairie Sparrow, Texas Song Sparrow, Snake-bird (Utah). 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Frhigilla grammaca Say (1823). Emberiza grammaca Aud. (1838). CHONDESTES 

 GRAMMACUS Bonap. (1839). 



DESCRIPTION: Sexes, alike. Above, brownish or grayish-brown, each feather streaked with blackish; 

 lower parts, chiefly white, with a small black spot on the chest; tail-feathers, blackish, broadly tipped 

 with white, except the middle pair; "crown and ear-coverts, chestnut, the former divided medially by 

 a pale brownish-gray or grayish-buff stripe (whitish anteriorly), the chestnut passing anteriorly into 

 blackish; a black streak across lores, and one along each side of throat." 

 Length, 6.25 inches; wing, 3.49; tail, 2.82 inches. 



Chondestes grammacus strigatus Ridgw. is paler, browner, and larger. 

 Length about 7.00 inches; wings, 3. .58; tail, 2.93 inches. 



