. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande valley . deserticola Ridgw. Desert Sparrow. Adults. — Similar to A. bilineata but averaging larger; upper partspaler and browner, and white spot at end of inner web of outermost tailfeather much smaller. (Ridgway.) Young: feathers of back edgedwith buffy rufous ; breast streaked with gray ; belly white. Male : length(skins) , wing , tail , bill . Female:length (skins) , wing , tail bill . Distributio
. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande valley . deserticola Ridgw. Desert Sparrow. Adults. — Similar to A. bilineata but averaging larger; upper partspaler and browner, and white spot at end of inner web of outermost tailfeather much smaller. (Ridgway.) Young: feathers of back edgedwith buffy rufous ; breast streaked with gray ; belly white. Male : length(skins) , wing , tail , bill . Female:length (skins) , wing , tail bill . Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone on the arid plains fromwestern Texas and New Mexico — west of 103° — to the coast of south-ern California, and from northern Utah and Nevada south to northernMexico and Lower California. Nest. — In sagebrush, cats-claw, cactus, or other bushes, loosely madeof dry grass and fine plant stems, lined with feathers, horsehair, and : 3 or 4, bluish white. On long hot rides over the larrea and low mesquite plains of NewMexico the desert sparrow is the commonest bird of the way, its. Fig. 438. FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 361 black tail always disappearing in the bushes ahead of the horses asyou pass. When we were camped on the arid mesa of the Pecos River,among the sounds that were ofteuest in our ears were the songs ofthe mockingbird and nonpareil, the iterant pe-cos of the scaled quail,and the calls of the verdin and roadrunner, while, mingled with them,always tinkling from the bushes, was the cheery little tune ofAmphispiza. Tra-ree-rah, ree-rah-ree was one of the commonest ofits varied modifications, and it was generally given with a burr likethat of the lark sparrow. On all our walks through the thorn brushand climbs over the agave-speared hills we found the lovely littlebird everywhere, sitting on top of the bushes singing with headthrown back in fine enjoyment of his bright lay. One small father bird, trying to attract us when we
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