IPSWICH SPARROW 171 



continues through July. The song is unlike those of the 

 Vesper Sparrow and the Song Sparrow, but might be con- 

 fused with that of the Grasshopper Sparrow. It is uttered 

 from a rock or a low post, and consists of two or three pre- 

 liminary chips, followed by two long insect-like trills, the 

 second in a little lower key than the first, tsip, tsip, tsip, 

 tseeeeeeeee tsee-ee-ee-ee. The Grasshopper Sparrow's song 

 is drier, less musical, and the trill is all on one note (see 

 p. 169). When the birds have young about, they are very 

 watchful, and observe an intruder by the hour, continually 

 uttering a sharp tsup. When two birds quarrel, they utter 

 a harsh bsss. The appearance of the Savannah Sparrow's 

 head, as the bird faces one, should distinguish it from the 

 Song Sparrow and the Vesper Sparrow ; the white median 

 line and the yellow lines over the eyes give the head a 

 striped appearance, quite distinct from that of the other two 

 species. The shortness of its tail, too, is apparent when it 

 flies ; after a short nervous flight it drops into the grass, 

 where it runs along or squats motionless. 



Ipswich Sparrow. Passerculus princeps 



6.25 



Ad. in spring. — Spot before the eye yellow; line over eye 

 white ; upper parts pale gray, streaked on the head with black, 

 on the back with brown ; throat and belly white ; breast and 

 sides streaked with brown ; legs and feet pale pink. Ad. in 

 winter. — Similar, but without the yellow before the eye. 



The Ipswich Sparrow is a migrant and winter visitant 

 along the sea-coast of New England and New York, com- 

 moner during the migration than in winter. It arrives in 

 November and stays till the first week of April. At all 

 seasons it is confined to extensive stretches of beach-grass, 

 such as occur at Ipswich, Mass., on Cape Cod, and on Long 

 Island ; occasionally it comes down to the beach and feeds 

 there with Shore Larks and Snow Buntings. One can flush 



