560 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Animodronms maritimus, Swainson. r, ■^ 



SEASIDE BUNTING. / O 



Fringilla marilima, Wilson, Am. Oni. IV, 1811, 68, pi. xxxiv, f. 2. -- Ai'n. Orn. 

 Biog. I, 1831, pi. xciii. Ammodromus mariiimus, Sw. Zool. Joui-. lil, 1S27, 328. 

 — BoNAP. List, 1838. — Ib. Consp. 1850, 482. — Aun. Synopsis, 1839, 110. — Ie. 

 Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 103, pi. clxxii. — Baikp, Birds N. Am. 1858, 454. — Samuels, 

 308. Fringilla {Ammodromus) marilima, NirxT. Man. I, (2il ed.,) 1840, 592. Frin- 

 (jilla macgillivrayi, AuD. Orn. Biog. 11, 1834, 285 ; IV, 1838, 394 ; V, 1839, 499, pi. 

 ccclv. Animodromiiji macgillivrayi, BoN. List, 1838. — Id. Conspectus, 1850, 482. — 

 AuD. Syn. 1839. — lis. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 106, pi. clxxiii. Fringilla {Ammudru- 

 mus) macgillivrayi, Nuttall, Man. 1, (2d ed.,) 1840, 593. 



Sp. Char. Above olivaceous ashy-brown ; neiirly uniform, liut with tlie centres of in- 

 terscapular feathers darker and edged faintly with paler; very obsoletoly, almost inap- 

 preciably streaked elsewhere, especially on the head, which has a faintly defined median 

 stripe of purer ashy. Beneath white ; the breast and sides and under tail-coverts with 

 rather indistinct streaks of dark ashy-brown, tending to form a large spot in centre of 

 breast; an ashy mandibular stripe continued into the ashy sides of neck, and cutting off 

 and enclosing a white stripe above it. A spot of yellow anterior to eye, continued over 

 it as an almost inappreciable grayish stripe. Edge of wing sulphur-yellow. Bill lead- 

 color ; feet du.sky. Length about 6 inches ; wing, 2.50. In autunni the breast and sides 

 tinged with fulvous; the back with rufous. 



Young birds {A. macgillivrayi ?) have markings much more distinct, ;md clo-sely resem- 

 ble A. caiidacuta, though larger. Tliey will be most readily distinguished liy the absence 

 of the fulvous superciliary stripe. 



Hab. Atlantic sea-co.'ust of United States, northward to Long Island Sound. 



The same seasonal differences in coloration are observalili' in this species 

 as in ^. caudacutun. 



Habits. The Seaside; Finch lias very nearly the same di.strilmtion, Irab- 

 its, and manners of life, as the Sharp-tailed species, and the description of 

 these in one would answ(;r almost equally well for the other. There are, 

 however, certain sliades of difference in several respects to be observed. 



This bird is, if anything, more southern in its distribution than the other, 

 and does not extend its visits in summer so far noith. While the Sharp- 

 tailed Fincli is not an uncommon bird on the shores of tlie New England 

 States, as far ti) the nmtli as Iji.swich, the Seaside Finch is comparatively 

 rare, much more so now than it was formerly. Mr. !Maynard states that he 

 lias searched carefully for it from the Merrimack to the extreme southern 

 shores of Massachusetts without finding any specimens, nor could lie liud 

 any on the island of Nantucket, a very natural and congenial locality. Dr. 

 Coues states that it is abundant fin the New Hampshire coast, but recent 

 endeavors have failed to detect it. In 18.S6 and 1837 a few isolated pairs 

 built in the marshes of Stony Brook, near Boston, above tide-water, nesting 

 not on the ground, but in low bushes. They were identifiiMl by Mr. Audubon. 



In the summer of 1852 I found this species very abundant on the low 

 sandy islands of Cape Charles, Va. Tliere, in every instance, tlieir nests 



