FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 333 



The Belding marsh sparrow is an abundant resident of the salt 

 water marshes along the coast of southern California, nesting in the 

 marsh grass just above the reach of the tide. 



544. Ammodramus rostratus Cass. LARGE-BILLED SPARROW. 



L'/iper parts light grayish broirn. indistinctly streaked ; under parts exten- 

 sively streaked with sandy brown ; bill 

 long and su:ollen and regularly rtirnd 

 from base. Male: length (skins) 5.10- 

 o.70. wing 2.72-2.112, tail 1.1)5-2.17, 

 bill .48 .54. Female : length (skins) 

 0.20-5.70. wing 2.52-2.83, tail l.S: 1 ,- Fig. t'l. 



2.14, bill .42-.51. 



Remarks. The large bill and nearly uniform light brown coloration of 

 upper parts distinguish this sparrow from the rest of the group. 



Distribution. Breeds in salt marshes on the coast of southern and 

 Lower California ; migrates to Cape St. Lucas and northwestern Mexico. 



Mr. Stephens reports that the large-billed sparrow is a common 

 winter resident of the seacoast of southern California, where it is 

 seldom found more than half a mile from the water's edge, but that 

 it prefers streets and the neighborhood of buildings to marshes. In 

 San Pedro Harbor, Mr. Grinnell tells us, it "frequents the wharves 

 and breakwaters, and even hops fearlessly about the decks of vessels, 

 feeding on crumbs and flics." 



Subgenus Centronyx. 



Hind toe decidedly longer than inner toe ; wing exceeding tail by little 

 more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers narrow, sharp pointed. 



545. Ammodramus bairdii (And.). BAIRD SPARROW. 



Adults. Head yellowish brown or buffy. crown streaked with black 

 laterally ; back light brown, spotted with black, feathers with light edgings ; 

 under parts white, throat bordered by 

 black stripes ; chest, sides, and flanks 

 streaked with black ; tail deeply emargi- 

 nate. the lateral feathers long'est. the 

 feathers all narrow and pointed at tip. 



Young : similar, but feathers of crown p^ 499. 



and back distinctly bordered with buffy 

 and streaks on chest less sharply defined. In n-inter the buffy color more 

 pronounced than in summer, strongly tinging chest, and sides. Male : 

 length (skins) 4.80-5.40. wing 2.80-2.86, tail 2.0.5-2.10, bill .41-.43. Fe- 

 male: length (skins) 4.0.5-4.95, wing 2.CO-2.70, tail l.DO-2.10. bill AO-A'2. 



Remarks. The feathers of the members of the subgenus Passerculus 

 are streaked, the dark center of the feather being a narrow shaft streak ; 

 but in A. bairdii and others of the sharp-tailed group the darkest part of 

 the feather instead of being a line is a wide stripe, an oval, or a terminal 

 eye spot, narrowly and quite uniformly bordered with lighter, giving an 

 effect of spotting rather than streaking. 



Distribution. Breeds from the Saskatchewan plains to Nebraska and 

 migrates through Colorado. Texas. New Mexico, and Arizona, to northwest- 

 ern Mexico ; casually westward to Washington. 



