FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 535 



of under parts white. Outer tail-feathers ami primaries edged withwliite. Length, 5.50 ; 

 wing, 2.70; tail, 2.10. 



Young. Ground-eolor of the upper parts (except wings and tail) light ochraeeous, 

 more brownish on top of head, upi)er part of back, and on upper tail-coverts ; the streaks 

 blacker and more conspicuous than in the adult. Beneath with an ochraeeous tinge 

 anteriorly, the streaks broader, and deeper black, than in the adult, though less sharply 

 deGned. The infra-maxillary streak expanded into a broad blackish elongated blotch. 



H.vB. Eastern North America to the Missouri plains, and northwest to Alaska. Cuba, 

 winter (Cab. Jour. IV, G). 



Specimens vary considerably in size, color, and .shape of liill, but the 

 average is as descrilied. Spring birds have the mtirkings sharper and 

 clearer, the dark streaks with little or no suflusion of rnfoiis. 



Habits. Tiie Savanna Sparrow is an abundant species througliout Xorth 

 America, from the Atlantic sea-board to the Great Plains. It is, however, 

 everywhere much less common in the interior than nearer the shore. The 

 Smithsonian specimens are from points as far south as Georgia and Louisi- 

 ana, and as far west as the Black Hills of \yyoming. It passes north through 

 Massachusetts, from the first to the middle of April, and some remain to 1 ireed 

 in the eastern part of the State. Mr. Maynard speaks of it as a comnion 

 summer resident. Tliis, however, Ls true only of a few restricted maritime 

 localities, l)ut is not so of the entire eastern portion of tlie State. It occurs 

 both in tlie .salt marshes of Cliarles Itiver and in the vicinity of Fre.sli Pond, 

 but I could never trace it in any of the neigldjoring towns. It is occasion- 

 ally met with in iidand situations where we would not naturally look for it. 

 In the summer of 18G9, Mr. William I'.rewster found quite a colony of these 

 birds in an open field near the Glen House, at the foot of Mt. Wasliington. 

 Tbey had nests with eggs the last of July and the first of August. 



In Western Massachusetts, according to Mr. Allen, it rarely or never stops 

 to breed. In Western Maine, IVIr. Verrill mentions it as a common summer 

 visitant, and as breeding there in the latter part of May. In the \icinity of 

 Eastport, and in all the islands of the Grand Menan group, I found these 

 Sparrows very aljundant. They almost invariably built their nests in de- 

 pressions on the edge or just under the projecting tops of high bluffs of land 

 near the sea. They were by far the most abundant of tlie land-birds, and it 

 was quite common to find their nests in close pro.ximity one to another. 

 They arrive there in April, and leave in Sejjtember, passing slowly south 

 more in reference to the abundance of their food than the severity of the 

 season, until tlie weather becomes very severe, when they all disappear. They 

 winter in tlie Southern States, from Virginia to Georgia, and are especially 

 abundant in tlie Carolinas. Dr. Coues states that they were very common 

 about Columbia from October to April, moving in large flocks and associ- 

 ating with other species. Wilson states that he met with this species, from 

 Sa\annali to Xew York, in all the low country, and regarded it as resident 

 in those places, but rarely found at a distance from the sea-shore. He found 

 them esjiecially numerous at Great Egg Harbor, N. J. 



