310 NOTES ON THE 



Its plaintive song seems simple and easily described, yet in 

 reality it is a very difficult task. In "Our Birds and their 

 Haunts," by the Rev. J. H. Langille of Buffalo, N. Y., it is said 

 "the melody of the bay-wing, if not so sprightly and varied, 

 still bears quite a resemblance to that of the song sparrow, 

 and is expressive of a tender pathos, which may even give it 

 the preference. It is one of the few bird- songs which might be 

 written upon a musical staff. Beginning with a few soft syl- 

 lables on the fifth note of the musical scale, it strikes several 

 loud, and prolonged notes on the eighth above, and ends in a 

 soft warble which seems to die out for want of breath, and may 

 run a little down the scale. Though the song is not brilliant, 

 and rather suggestive of humble scenes and thoughts, "the 

 grass, the stones, the stubble, the furrows, the quiet herds, and 

 the warm twilight among the hills," it is nevertheless a fine 

 pastoral, full of the sweet content which dwells in the bosom 

 of nature. It is heard to the best advantage when the rosy 

 hues of sundown are tinting the road, the rocks, and all the 

 higher lights of the evening landsoape. Then an innumerable 

 company of these "poets of the plain, unadorned pastures," 

 some perched on the fences, some on weeds and thistles, but 

 many more hid in the grass and stubble, swell into their finest 

 chorus, while most other birds are gradually subsiding into 

 silence. It has been well said that the farmer following his team 

 from the field at dusk, catches the Bay-wing's sweetest strain, 

 and that a very proper name for it would be the Vesper Spar 

 row." 



I find the Bay-winged Buntings quite uniformly represented 

 in all parts of the State reasonably adapted to them. One 

 correspondent who has been much interested in the local 

 sparrows thinks the variation in the numbers of them in differ- 

 ent years exceeds that of any other species except the Black- 

 throated Bunting, {A. hiUneata), sometimes there seeming to 

 be almost an entire absence of them. My own observation 

 measurably corroborates his, yet they have usually been well 

 represented in the region where I reside. I can say, however, 

 that few species have a greater range of measurements. Those 

 are as follows in 33 cases: Length, 4.60 to 7.20; wing, 2.80 to 

 3.10. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Tail feathers rather acute; above light yellowish brown, the 

 feathers everywhere streaked abruptly with dark brown, even 

 on the sides of the neck which are paler; beneath yellowish 

 white; on the breast and sides of neck and body, streaked with 



