490 GRANIVOROUS BIRDS. 



from April to October ; migrating towards the South in 

 severe weather, though many pass the whole winter in 

 the Middle States. In Georgia and West Florida they 

 are rather numerous at this season, migrating in quest of 

 food probably from the West ; and the whole species gen- 

 erally show a predilection for the warm and sheltered 

 vicinage of the sea, where the seeds and insects they feed 

 on are most abundant. On their first arrival in Massa- 

 chusetts, they frequent the sandy beaches and shores of 

 the bays in quest of CicindelcB and other coleopterous in- 

 sects, which frequent such situations ; and they are at this 

 time exceedingly fat, though their moult is not completed. 

 In summer this shy and timid species lives wholly in pas- 

 ture or grass fields, and often descends to the ground in 

 quest of food. Its nest, also laid in the grass, very 

 similar to that of the Song-Sparrow, is usually built about 

 the close of April. 



In the month of March, in Georgia, I observed these 

 Sparrows in the open grassy pine woods, on the margins 

 of small swamps or galls. On being suddenly surprised, 

 they often flew off a little distance, and then, if followed, 

 descended to the ground and ran and hid closely in the 

 tall tufts of grass. Their notes, at this time, were very 

 long, piping, and elevated, and resembled often tslie tship 

 tship tship tship tship tship, then tshe ch' tsh' tsh' tsh' tsh^ 

 and tsh'' tsh' tsh' tsh' tsh\ Some of these notes were as 

 fine and lively as those of the Canary, loud, echoing, 

 and cheerful. At times, this species also utters a note 

 almost exactly similar to the chirpings of a cricket, so 

 that it might easily be mistaken for that insect. 



The length of this species is about 6 inches, and 9 in alar dimen- 

 sions. (The female about 5^ inches long.) The head is dusky- 

 brown, with some shades of bay, and divided indistinctly in the cen- 

 tre by a yellowish- white line. The rest of the plumage above is a 



