Range.--Plains in the interior of North America, breeding from Kansas north to Saskatchewan; very abundant in the Dakotas and Montana. This handsome species in the breeding plumage has the throat white, breast and belly black, and a chestnut collar on the nape. They are one of the most abundant breeding birds on the prairies, nesting in hollows on the ground either in the open or protected by a tuft of grass. The nests are made of grasses and sometimes moss; three or four eggs laid in June or July; white, blotched, lined and obscurely marked with brown and purplish; size .75 x .55. 539. MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR. _Rhynchophanes mccowni._ Range.--Great Plains, breeding from Kansas to the Saskatchewan. This Longspur which breeds in company with the preceding, throughout its range, can be distinguished from it by the small black patch on the breast, the black crown, and chestnut wing coverts. Their nesting habits are the same, and at this season all the Longspurs have a sweet song often uttered during flight, like that of the Bobolink. Their eggs are of the same size and similarly marked as the last, but the ground color is more gray or olive. [Illustration: Smith's Longspur.] [Illustration 336: Grayish.] [Illustration: Chestnut-collared Longspur.] [Illustration: Dull white.] [Illustration: Grayish white.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 335 540. VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus gramineus._ Range.--Eastern United States, breeding from Virginia and Missouri north to Manitoba and New Brunswick; winters in the southern half of the United States. A streaked grayish, buffy and white bird distinguished by its chestnut shoulders and white outer tail feathers. They are abundant birds in eastern fields where their loud piping whistle is known to many frequenters of weedy pastures. They build on the ground, either in grassy or cultivated fields, lining the hollow scantily with grasses. Their four or five eggs are usually laid in May or June; they are dull whitish, blotched and splashed with light brown and lavender tints; size .80 × .60. 540a. WESTERN VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus confinis._ Range.--This paler variety is found in North America west of the Plains and south of Saskatchewan. Its nesting habits are like those of the preceding and the eggs are indistinguishable. 540b. OREGON VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus affinis._ A browner variety found on the coast of Oregon and northern California. Its nesting habits are like those of the eastern bird and the eggs similar but averaging a trifle smaller. * * * ENGLISH SPARROW. _Passer domesticus._