42 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



dish brown than either of the preceding species. 

 There is a gray line over the eye, the breast is 

 light tinged with buff and has no markings. 

 The long tail is reddish brown, and the bill is 

 distinctly reddish, an excellent field mark. 



Their range corresponds closely with that of 

 the Vesper. They arrive in early April and stay 

 till November. The nest of coarse grass, roots, 

 etc., lined with fine grass and hair, is usually 

 placed on the ground, sometimes in a low bank. 

 The eggs, three to five in number, are whitish 

 with brown spots. 



Savanna Sparrow. Another very common 

 summer resident in the upland fields, where his 

 nest is well hidden by the thick growth of herds- 

 grass and redtop, is the Savanna Sparrow. This 

 is a small sparrow scarcely larger than the 

 Chippy, but quite unlike in color, song and 

 habit. When I cross the grass fields in June, 

 every now and then this little fellow springs up 

 almost at my feet, flies to the stone wall or a 

 fence post, and after eyeing me for a moment 

 slips away into the grass again. He displays a 

 strange mixture of boldness and shyness. 



The colors of the Savanna are brownish 

 black heavily streaked with brown above; the 

 breast is light with wedge-shaped marks of dark 

 brown. The best field marks are the dashes of 

 yellow over or in front of the eye and on the 

 bend of the wing. Its colors are admirable for 

 the protection of so constant a ground dweller. 

 It is said that in the southern portion of their 

 summer range they frequent bogs and salt 

 marshes, usually in colonies, where they are 

 much shyer than in their northern home. 



