BIRDS OF NEW YORK 293 



past eight o'clock when the last Robin is hushed. This sparrow has also 

 several forms of weak " tsipps " or call notes. A common alarm note 

 is usually written " t'lick," almost a two-syllable exclamation. 



This bird is a terrestrial species, feeding on the ground as exclusively 

 as the Savannah sparrow, fully as recluse in its habits as that species, 

 except during the singing season when the male is constantly in evidence 

 flying in circles about the field, or seated on some prominent weed stalk. 

 When flushed it rises suddenly from beneath one's feet and darts hurriedly 

 away to dive and hide among the grass. 



The nest is concealed in the dense meadow, loosely woven of dry 

 grass and small weed stalks, lined with fibers, roots, fine grass and hair. 

 The eggs are 4 or 5 in number, white in ground color, spotted and speckled 

 with reddish brown; average size .73 by .54 inches. 



Passerherbulus henslowi henslowi (Audubon) 

 Hen slow Sparrow 



Plate Si 



Emberiza henslowii Audubon. Birds Amer. 1829. (folio) 1. pi. 70 

 Emberiza henslowi DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1S44. pt 2, p. 157 

 Passerherbulus henslowi henslowi A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. 



p. 257. No. S47 



passerherbulus , evidently a diminutive from Lat., passer, sparrow, and herba, grass; 

 henslowi, to Prof. J. S. Henslow of Cambridge, England 



Description. Upper parts streaked with chestnut, black and ashy 

 white; wings and their coverts chiefly chestnut; head and neck buffy olive, 

 sides of the crown black, leaving a buffy olive median line; postocular, rictal 

 and submalar streaks black; under parts white, the breast and sides tinged 

 strongly with buff and distinctly streaked with black; tail feathers very 

 narrow and sharply pointed. Young: Have )io spots on the breast and 

 the head nearly plain buff; the whole plumage more suffused with buffy. 



Length 4.75-5.25 inches; wing 2-2.2; tail 1. 75-2.1 ; exposed bill .41-.58; 

 depth of bill .20-.34; tarsus .66-.73; middle toe .53-.62. 



Distribution. This sparrow breeds in the eastern United States from 

 central Minnesota, Ontario, New York and southern New Hampshire to 

 Missouri and northern Virginia; winters in the Southern States, inhabiting 



