242 BACHMAN'S SPABEOW 



Bachraan's Sparrow : Peuccea cestivalis hachmanii. 



Upper i^arts rufous, buif y line over the eye ; breast and sides 

 brownish buff, unstreaked. Length, about 5| inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Lower Mississippi valley north 

 to southern Indiana and southern Illinois ; Avest to northern 

 Texas ; east to Georgia, South and North Carolina ; south in 

 winter, in the Atlantic states, to southern Florida. 



Bachman's Sparrow is a shy bird, frequenting 

 half-cleared fields or open woods, where, when 

 alarmed, it will dive into the nearest shelter, or 

 skulk, wren-like, along the fences, dodging from 

 rail to rail. In Florida, where it spends the win- 

 ter, it is to be seen in the pine ^yoods undergrown 

 with oaks. Its near relative, the Pine Woods 

 Sparrow, on the other hand, is found only in pine 

 woods with an undergrowth of scrub palmetto. 

 The son OS of both birds are remarkable. Bach- 

 man's sings even during the heat of midday, but 

 its cousin of the pine woods needs the inspiration 

 of matins and vespers. Mr. Cliapman describes 

 the song of the Pine AVoods Sparrow as being- 

 very simple, but possessing " all the exquisite 

 tenderness and pathos of the melody of the Her- 

 mit Thrush." 



Bachman's Sparrow completes the number of 

 the Finches and Sj^arrows that we shall take up. 

 The family, being the largest of our bird families, 

 is greatly varied, but its members as a rule have 

 the conical seed-eater bill (see Fig. 119, p. 193), 

 and, by combining an insect and vegetable diet. 



