64 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS. 



Hollister found a few of these sparrows at Stuttgart in January, 

 Hanna noted them in small numbers at Van Buren in December, and 

 Pleas reported them as occasionally wintering at Clinton. Mrs. 

 Stephenson has observed them at Helena between April 17 and May 

 7, and Savage reports them common at Delight between April 2 and 

 May 18. I saw 2 at Stuttgart May 13, and 1 at McGehee May 17. 



Gambel Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys gambeli. 



This western form of the white-crowned sparrow occurs rarely in 

 migration as far east as Arkansas. Three specimens taken by Mr. 

 G. Dallas Hanna at Van Buren on December 14, 16, and 22, 1910, 

 furnish the only records for the State. 



White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis. 



The whitethroat occurs in great abundance as a migrant and 

 winter resident. It arrives in the vicinity of Helena about October 

 10 and remains until the middle of May (latest date, May 19) . Savage 

 noted it at Delight in spring as late as May 16, and I found it numer- 

 ous at Turrell between May 6 and 10. The first fall migrants reached 

 Delight October 23, becoming common by November 5. Hanna 

 found the whitethroat the most abundant species at Van Buren 

 during December. Like many of the members of its family, this 

 sparrow is a great destroyer of weed seed and has an especial fond- 

 ness for the seeds of ragweed and bindweed (Polygonum) . It con- 

 sumes, also, a great many wild berries and a goodly number of 

 insects. Its food habits in general place it among the useful birds 

 of the farm. 



Tree Sparrow. Spizella monticola. 



This hardy little bird breeds in the far north and spends the winter 

 in the northern United States and as far south as Oklahoma. Its 

 status in Arkansas is not well known, since it has been observed at 

 only one locality — Helena, October 25, 1895, and October 30, 31, 

 1896. Prof. Cooke found these sparrows abundant at Caddo, 

 Okla., between October 31 and February 26, a few remaining until 

 March 10/ and they may be expected to occur in Arkansas at about 

 the same dates. 



Chipping Sparrow. Spizella passenna. 



The "chippy" is one of our most abundant and familiar sparrows. 

 It is found in all sections of the State, having been observed at Lake 

 City, Turrell, Wilmot, Mena, Pettigrew, Conway, and other places. 

 It arrives from the south early in March (earliest record at Helena, 

 March 5) and remains until November (latest at Helena, November 

 6). Occasionally a few may be found in winter, as at Delight, where 

 Savage took a single specimen on December 20. This little bird 



i Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Orn., p. 198, 1888. 



