FRINGILLID^E THE FINCHES 275 



Spizella pusilla (Wils.) 



FIELD SPARED W. 



Popular synonyms. Field Chippy, or Chip-bird; Bed-billed Chippy. 



Motacillajuncorum GMEL. S. N. i, 1788, 952 (based on Little Brown Sparrow of CATESBY). 



Fringilla juncorum NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 499; ed. 1840, i, 577. 

 Fring ilia pusilla WILS. Am. Orn. ii, 1810, 121, pi. 16, fig. 2. AUD. Orn. Biog. ii, 1834, 19, 



pi. 139. 



Emberiza pusilla AUD. Synop. 1839, 104; B. Am. iii, 1841,77, pi. 104. 



Spizella pusilla BP. 1838. BAIRD, B. N. Am. 1858, 473 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 358. COUES, 

 Key, 1872, 143; Check List, 1873,No. 179; B. N. W. 1874, 148. -B. B. & B. Hist. N. Am. B. 

 ii, 1874,5, pi. 27, fig. 2. BIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 214. 

 Spizella agrestis "(BABTB.)" COUES, 2d Check List, 1872, No. 271. 



HAB. Eastern United States, breeding throughout (except in Gulf States?) and win- 

 tering chiefly south of 38. 



SP. CHAB. Bill brownish red. Crown continuous rufous, with a faint indication of an 

 ashy central stripe, and ashy nuchal collar. Back somewhat similar, with shaft-streaks 

 of blackish. Sides of head and neck (including a superciliary stripe) ashy. Ear-coverts 

 rufous. Beneath white, tinged with yellowish anteriorly, the sides of the breast with a 

 rufous patch. Tail-feathers and quills faintly edged with white. Two whitish bands 

 across the wing-coverts. Autumnal specimens more rufous. Length about5.75; wing, 2.34. 



"This species is about the size of S. socialis, but is more rufous 

 above ; lacks the black forehead and eye stripe ; has chestnut ears, 

 instead of ash ; has the bill red, instead of black ; lacks the clear 

 ash of the rump ; has a longer tail, etc. It is more like monticola, 

 but is much smaller; lacks the spot 011 the breast, and the pre- 

 dominance of white 011 the wings, etc. The young have the breast 

 and sides streaked, and the crown slightly so." (Hist. N. Am, B.) 



Although equally common with the Chipping Sparrow, and in many 

 localities even more abundant, the little Field Sparrow is far less 

 known on account of its more secluded habits. Instead of seeking 

 the society of man it almost wholly avoids the towns and seems in- 

 separably attached to the rural districts. It is by 110 means timid 

 or retiring, however, but prefers the country because only there 

 can it find those localities which are essential to its presence. 



The Field Sparrow inhabits all sorts of bushy localities, such as 

 hazel and blackberry thickets, old fields grown up to weeds and 

 sprouts, the borders of prairies, etc. Its nest is built either on the 

 ground or not higher than two or three feet above it, and the eggs 

 are very different in color from those of the Chipping Sparrow, 

 being greenish or bluish white, thickly speckled with reddish brown. 

 Frequently the nest is built in gooseberry or currant bushes in a 

 farm-house garden, but oftener a more secluded spot is chosen. 



