298 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Hamilton; and Fuertes, September 26 to October 1 at Ithaca; Doctor Brais- 

 lin, October 5, 1907, at Rockaway beach, Long Island. It is also interesting 

 to note that the dates at Toronto lie between September 22 and October 

 28 (Auk, 16:277), but there is also one spring date, June 10, 1895, from 

 Toronto. 



This sparrow is found on the reedy margin of the lake or river, not 

 usually in the very dense grass and reeds far from the shore, but in the 

 shallow water where there is only a sparse growth of flags, reeds and rushes. 

 It rises when disturbed with a sudden bound and darts away in a deeply 

 undulating, swooping flight to the cover of the denser grasses. 



Passerherbulus nelsoni subvirgatus (Dwight) 

 Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow 



Plate 81 



Ammodramus caudacutus subvirgatus Dwight. Auk July, 1887. 



4: 233 

 Passerherbulus nelsoni subvirgatus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 

 iqio. p. 259. No. 549.1a 



subvirgatus, Lat., less, or slightly, striped 



Description. The size of caudacutus but with smaller bill, distinctly 

 duller and more plainly colored than the two preceding species, the whitish 

 streaks on the back being obsolete or at least not sharply contrasted. The 

 buff on the side of the head, breast and sides is paler, and the superciliary 

 stripe and malar stripes show a more grayish tinge like the olivaceous 

 of the upper parts. 



Wing 2.14-2.32 inches; tail 1.82-2.06; bill .41; depth of bill .21-. 25; 

 tarsus 1. 83-1. 87; middle toe .64-.66. 



Distribution. This subspecies of the Nelson sparrow inhabits the salt 

 marshes of the Atlantic coast from southeastern Quebec, Prince Edward 

 island and Cape Breton to Maine; and winters on the coast of South 

 Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In this State it occurs as a migrant at 

 the same time and in the same places with the Nelson sparrow. Its habits, 

 so far as have been observed in this State, during migration time are 

 exactly those of the Nelson sparrow, from which the amateur could not 

 distinguish it without collecting the specimens in question. It has been 



