The Bird Book Part 80

580a. SCOTT'S SPARROW. _Aimophila ruficeps scotti._

Range.--Western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona south in Mexico.

A paler species, above, than the last, and whitish below. It is quite a common species on the mountain ranges where it nests on the ground, in clumps of gra.s.s or beneath shrubs or overhanging rocks; the nests are made of gra.s.ses and weeds scantily put together. The eggs are white, untinted. Size .80 .60.

580b. ROCK SPARROW. _Aimophila ruficeps eremaeca._

Range.--Middle and southern Texas and south in Mexico.

This variety frequents rocky mountain sides where it nests abundantly under rocks or at the foot of shrubs, the nests being made of coa.r.s.e gra.s.ses loosely twisted together and lined with finer gra.s.s. The birds are shy and skulk off through the underbrush upon the approach of anyone so that the nests are quite difficult to find. The three to five eggs are pure white and of the same size as those of the last.

580c. LAGUNA SPARROW. _Aimophila ruficeps sororia._

Range.--Mountains of southern Lower California.

The nests and eggs of this very similar variety to _ruficeps_ proper are not likely to differ in any particular from those of that species.

[Ill.u.s.tration 355: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 579--580.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 354

581. SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia melodia_.

Range.--North America, east of the Plains, breeding from Virginia to Manitoba and New Brunswick, and wintering chiefly in the southern half of the United States.

A favorite and one of the most abundant in all sections of the east.

They are sweet and persistent songsters and frequent side hills, pastures, roadsides, gardens and dooryards if English Sparrows be not present. They nest indifferently upon the ground or in bushes, generally artfully concealing the nest by drooping leaves; it is made of gra.s.s and weed stems, lined with fine gra.s.s or, occasionally, horse hair. As is usual in the case of birds that abound about habitations they frequently choose odd nesting sites. They lay two and sometimes three sets of eggs a season, from May to August, the eggs being three to five in number and white or greenish white, marked, spotted, blotched or splashed in endless variety of pattern and intensity, with many shades of brown; some eggs are very heavily blotched so as to wholly obscure the ground color while others are specked very sparingly. They measure .80 .60 with great variations.

581a. DESERT SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia fallax_.

Range.--Desert regions of southern Nevada, Arizona and southeastern California. The eggs of this very pale form are the same as those of the last.

581b. MOUNTAIN SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia montana_.

Range.--Rockies and the Great Basin from Oregon and Montana southward.

This variety is paler than the Song Sparrow but darker than _fallax_.

Eggs the same.

581c. HEERMAN'S SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia heermanni_.

Range.--California, west of the Sierra Nevadas.

Similar to _melodia_ but with less brown and the markings blacker and more distinct. The nesting habits are the same and the eggs similar to large dark specimens of the eastern Song Sparrow. Size .85 .62.

581d. SAMUELS SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia samuelis_.

Range.--Coast regions of California, chiefly in the marshes.

Similar to the last but smaller. They nest on the ground in marsh gra.s.s, usually in sandy districts along the sh.o.r.e. The eggs average smaller than those of _melodia_. Size .78 .58.

581e. RUSTY SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia morphna_.

Range.--Pacific coast of Oregon and British Columbia.

A dark species with the upper parts dark reddish brown and heavily streaked with the same below. The nesting habits and eggs are like those of _melodia_.

[Ill.u.s.tration 356: Song Sparrow.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 581a--581c--581e.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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581f. SOOTY SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia rufina._

Range.--Pacific coast from British Columbia to Alaska.

A darker bird, both above and below, even than the last. Eggs like the last but averaging a trifle larger. Size .82 .62.

581g. BROWN'S SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia rivularis._

Range.--Southern Lower California.

A light colored form like the Desert Song Sparrow; said to build in cat tails above water as well as on the ground; eggs not different from others of the genus.

581h. SANTA BARBARA SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia graminea._

Range.--Breeds on Santa Barbara Islands; winters on adjacent coast of California.

A variety of the same size but paler than _samuelis_. Nesting or eggs not peculiar.

581i. SAN CLEMENTE SONG SPARROW. _Melospiza melodia clementae._