230 
Minot on Colorado Birds. 
they have twitters of excitement, as they flutter through the shrubbery. 
They build their nests often in or beneath low, thick spruces, in the open 
swamps. Their bush nests are bulky, and altogether of straw, well hol- 
lowed. 
31. Spizella socialis, Bp. Chipping Sparrow. — Tediously abun- 
dant in summer, ranging up to 7,000 feet, but apparently not yet attracted 
to civilization here. At Boulder they remained in flocks up to the last of 
May, feeding on or about buds, and flying into trees when scared. Their 
trill occasionally had a terminal note. 
32. Cyanospiza amoena, Baird. Lazuli Finch. — Not uncommon 
as a summer resident. Habits and notes closely like the Indigo Finch’s. 
Song less Warbler-like, but definite, not rambling. 
33. Zamelodia melanocephala, Cones. Black-headed Grosbeak. 
— A common summer resident. Very unsuspicious. Nest like that of the 
Rose-breast. Habits somewhat terrestrial. The male sings deliciously, 
most loudly when on wing or mounted on a high perch. Without the 
mellowness of the Rose-breast’s, his song suggests similarly the Robin’s 
exalted, but at the same time fairly approaches the Mocking-bird’s. 
Ordinary note generic, a sharp chick. 
34. Pipilo chlorurus, Baird. Chestnut-crowned Towhee. — A 
common summer resident, ranging up to 11,000 feet. Lively and saucy : 
shyer and fussier than the common Rocky Mountain Towhee. Habits and 
song, generic. Song a comparatively prolonged ditty, often ending with a 
loud, half-petulant, Canary-bird sort of cry. Notes, a petulant week, and 
a characteristic pe-u-ee in a Towhee’s voice (three syllables). 
35. Agelaeus phceniceus, Vieill. Red-winged Blackbird. — Abun- 
dant summer residents, ranging up to 9,000 feet, or perhaps higher. 
Bush nests near Boulder, that I examined June 1, were made of grass, 
etc., one lined with hairs, and some of excellent workmanship. All had 
four typical eggs, and one a Cow-bird’s egg, which, as I could not wait to 
watch the case, as I should have liked to do extremely, I removed. It 
proved to be about three days advanced. 
36. Xanthocephalus icterocephalus, Baird. Yellow-headed 
Blackbird. — Summer residents, locally common about the lower lakes. 
They have a hoarse, coarse chuck , and a Parrot-like whistle of three 
descending notes, followed by an extraordinary harsh cry, that is often 
repeated alone. They are very sociable. 
37. Sturnella magna neglecta, Cones. Western Fieldlark. — 
Abundant to the Northward, and common in the South. They are becom- 
ing familiar : in Boulder I was shown a nest within ten yards of a house 
in a small lot. The nest and eggs were like our Eastern types in every 
way ; but the birds are curiously different. They are much less shy. 
Their flight is less pulsating. They flirt their tails (does magna f I can- 
not recall). Their song is less shrill and plaintive, and richer. It is most 
like the fragment of a Thrush’s song, and, to a near listener, deliciously 
