With the snowflakes o’er the mountains Hasten past the hawks from Northland, Speed along the titmice, juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, wrens, and creepers, Tiny kinglets, sweet-voiced bluebirds, All in eager search for havens Where the touch of winter kills not. —Frank Bolles, “Birds in October.” Mr. Ernest E. Thompson calls the White-crowned Sparrow an aristocrat of the sparrow family. One of the largest of the sparrows, its beautifully marked plumage and its dignified mien, as it stands on some exposed perch, immediately attracts the attention of an observer. Its range is extensive, covering the whole of the United States during its migrations, and in winter it passes further southward into the valley regions of Mexico. In the selection of a nesting site a pure and cool atmosphere seems a paramount consideration. The mountain regions of the western United States and the country lying north of the great lakes and eastward into Labrador seem to meet the requirements for the home building of these sweet dispositioned birds. Then its music is sweetest. During its migration, however, localities not favored with its home are often regaled “with selections of its melodies as it rests in thickets and hedgerows while slowly passing through our country on its northward pilgrimage.” From some high bush or other favorable perch the male will pour forth an almost unbroken song while its mate is setting. Often this song does not cease with the going down of the sun, and it has been heard as late as midnight. It is a “lively, agreeable song, fine and clear, and is frequently heard from a score or more of birds at the same time with a most pleasing effect.” Its song, quite closely resembling that of its relative the white-throated sparrow, with which it quite frequently consorts during its migrations, yet the two songs are readily distinguishable. Mr. Thompson compares the songs. He says: “Its usual song is like the latter half of the white-throat’s familiar refrain, repeated a number of times with a peculiar, sad cadence and a clear, soft whistle that is characteristic of the group.” Dr. Coues, speaking of the two songs, says that the song of the White-crowned Sparrow is “a less enterprising vocal effort, of only five or six syllables, like pee, dee, de, de, de, the two first long drawn, rising, the rest hurried and lowering.” Transcribed into words, there are almost as many renderings of the White-crowned’s song as there are observers. Mr. Burroughs says that the song “begins with the words fe-u, fe-u, fe-u, and runs off into trills and quavers like the song sparrow’s, only much more touching.” To Mr. Langille “the song is quite peculiar, whee-who-who-zee-zee-zee, the first three notes in a clear whistle and the last three in a sort of jew’s-harp tone, the whole being decidedly pleasing, and not at all like that of the white-throat.”