FINCHES, SPARROWS 



(599) Passerina amoena 



(Say) (Lat., charming). 



LAZULI BUNTING. Ad. &— 

 Bright turquoise blue above, shading 

 Lo lighter and duller on the back; 

 breast, and sometimes the sides, 

 yellowish-brown; wings with two bars 

 formed by white tips to the greater 

 and middle coverts. Ad. 9 — Shown 

 by the bird on the left; grayish-brown 

 above, tinged with blue on the rump; 

 Lower parts pale buff, brightening on 

 the breast. Immature birds lack the 

 blue on the rump and are somewhat 

 streaked underneath. L., 5.40; W., 

 J. 80; T., 2.35. Nest — Of grasses, in 

 Ijushes or weeds; eggs plain bluish- 

 white, .75 X .55. 



Range — Breeds from western N. 

 Dak., southern Sask. and B. C, south 

 lo western Tex. and southern Cal. 



often in spring and early summer but his song is rather weak 

 in character, although it bears some resemblance to that of 

 the Purple Finch. 



INDIGO BUNTINGS, during the breeding season, occur 

 in most of our range except the Gulf States. The female is a 

 very demure little bird with a uniform brown upper parts and 

 bufi'y white below, but the male is very gaily clad in an 

 intense blue with a slightly greenish cast on the body and 

 deeping to almost purple on the head. They frequent weedy 

 and bush-covered fields or thickets, building their grass nests 

 within a foot or two of the ground. The male is a most 

 excellent songster and delivers his recital from the summit 

 of bush or tree. The song quite closely resembles some parts 

 of that of the Goldfinch and of the household canary. He 

 frequently retains his perch for many minutes, repeating the 

 song at quite regular intervals. While it is not unusual to 

 see the male singing away with all his might from the tops 

 of trees twenty to forty feet in height, I do not recall an 



