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REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 
contrary, its numbers are limited to the comparatively few that find their way into 
the bands of white-crowned and Ridgway’s sparrows, and with them perforin the 
journey southward, or winter in favorable localities. Suckley, however, speaks of the 
Golden-crowned Sparrow as an abundant summer resident about 1 he Dalles. 
Junco Wagler. 
J. oregonus (Towns.). Oregon Snowbird. 
This snowbird appears to pass the summer among the mountains, from about the 
latitude of Carson, New, northward, and is the only one of the genus that inhabits the 
Pacific province. ... .... 
A nest found June 23 contained young. It was placed on a hillside in a little patch 
of an evergreen shrub that raised above the earth sufficiently to screen the nest, the 
top of which was sunk on a level with the ground. This may have been an unusually 
late brood, for I had taken fully fledged young some few days earlier. 
A second nest, found August 2, held three young, several days old. 
I subjoin a description of the young in the first or nest plumage, remarking that m 
this condition the young of all our snowbirds resemble each other very closely, those 
of several of the forms, in fact, being distinguishable only with great difficulty. 
First plumage: Prevailing tint above rufous, the feathers streaked medially with 
black; wings and tail blackish-brown, each feather edged with rufous. Throat, breast, 
and sides profusely spotted with black; belly of a fulvous white; sides washed with 
rufous; first outer tail-feather always, usually the second, sometimes the third, white. 
Amphispiza Coues. 
A. belli nevadensis (Ridgw.). Artemisia Sparrow. 
This sparrow breeds abundantly among the artemisia wherever it grows, and even 
follows it to a considerable altitude in the mountains, although the sage plains, at 
their lower levels, appear to be the proper home of the bird. The species occurs less 
abundantly in Northern California than to the southward. 
In the vicinity of Carson, where I found several nests, its eggs are laid about May 
15. As nesting sites sage bushes were invariably selected. Dried weed-stalks make 
up the bulk of the structure, with an interior of the soft, fibrous sage bark, inside 
which is the lining proper, of sheep’s wool, which is readily obtained by the birds 
almost anywhere in this country. 
The eggs vary much in the exact character of their markings, as also, to some extent, 
in size. With a faint greenish-white background, they are spotted, much less heavily 
at the smaller than at the larger end, where the markings are often accumulated into 
a circle, with various shades of brown inclining toward sienna, with lavender, and 
faint purple. The sienna is often laid on in the shape of scratches or blotches, so 
densely as to appear almost black. Altogether the appearance of the eggs of this 
species is peculiar. 
Two sets measure as follows: (79x58) : 83x58 75x58 ; (76x58) ; 77x57 78x57. 
Spizella Bonaparte. 
S. monticola (Gm.). Tree Sparrow. 
A flock of tree sparrows was seen upon the Columbia in October, but, owing to a 
failure to interest my mule in the matter, no specimens were actually secured. 
Dr. Cooper leaves a note to the effect that he saw what he took to be tree sparrows 
in the Sierras, and Suckley obtained a bird at The Dalles in winter which he identified, 
per book, as of this species. So rhe tree sparrow may be presumed to be a fall migrant 
and wl itei resident of this legion on both slopes of the Sierras; but it is probably 
less common than farther east. 
*S', socialis arizonce Cones. Western Chipping Sparrow. 
^ A common summer inhabitant of the eastern slope. It is found in Washington 
Territory, west of the mountains, and doubtless to the east, although it was not°met 
with about the Columbia, perhaps owing to the lateness of the season. 
S. breweri, Cass. Brewer’s Sparrows. 
This quaint little sparrow is almost as characteristic an inhabitant of the save-brush 
plains as the Bell’s finch. Together with the latter bird and an occasional sage 
thrush this species makes up the usual avian lif6 of these forbidding "wastes and in 
numbers at least, the Brewer’s sparrow is the most conspicuous of the three Living 
often far distant from water, and with no hint of the usual attractive surrounding^ 
