TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 
397 
Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). 
White-crowned Sparrow. 
Abundant summer resident. 
This is probably the most common sparrow in Labrador, as, al¬ 
though it is a bird of the Hudsonian zone it encroaches on the Arctic 
zone, breeding contentedly among the stunted fir and spruce bushes 
in sheltered ravines along the entire wind-swept coast as well as in the 
forested region of the interior. Audubon, Stearns, Frazar, and Palmer 
speak of it on the southern coast. Coues, Weiz, Packard, and Bigelow 
found it along the eastern coast. Turner found it “very plentiful” and 
“breeding abundantly at Fort Chimo.” Low 7 says it is “very com¬ 
mon” on the upper Hamilton River and Spreadborough found it 
“very abundant from Richmond Gulf across Ungava to Fort Chimo.” 
Audubon says they reach Labrador about June 1st. Frazar 
observed them first at Esquimaux Point on May 18th, and Low* noted 
them on May 16th on the upper Hamilton River. Audubon found 
a nest and five eggs on July 6th at American Harbor. Low obtained 
eggs on June 25th on the upper Hamilton River. Macoun records 
eggs from Whale River in June, four sets of four eggs each; one set 
of four taken at Fort Chimo in June; one set of four taken at Nachvak 
in June, and one set of three from an island in James Bay on June 23d. 
We found the White-crowned Sparrow everywhere in Labrador 
not only on the bleak coast, wherever there w*ere sheltering ravines 
but also in the forested region at Cape Charles, St. Lewis Inlet, Cart¬ 
wright, and Rigolet. It was the common dooryard bird and w*as 
frequently to be seen hopping about the fish stages and tilts, where, 
without their shelter, w*e should not have expected to have found this 
bird of the Hudsonian zone. We even saw one singing from the 
cross-stay at the main-mast head of a schooner anchored close to the 
shore at White Bear Island, one of the bleakest outer islands. Mr. 
W. B. Cabot told us of seeing one hopping along the body of a sleeping 
Eskimo dog, picking at the flies that surrounded him. The call note 
of this bird as we heard it in Labrador w*as characteristic and easily 
recognized, a metallic chink. Its alarm note was a sharp chip. Its 
song w*e often heard even in foggy and w*et w*eather. When singing 
in a tree the bird generally sat concealed near the trunk several feet 
from the top. We also heard the song from the sod-covered roofs 
of the houses and, as just mentioned, from the rigging of a schooner. 
