no THE SANDWICH SPARROW. 



Taconia before the first week in May, and they are not certainly found before 

 the middle of that nmntli. Open prairie is nmst fre(|uenth- selected for a 

 site, and its clijse-cropped mossy surface often requires considerable ingenuity 

 of concealment on the bird's part. Ploughed ground, where undisturbed, is 

 eagerly utilized. At other times a shallow cupi is scraped at the base of a 

 small fern, or the protection of a fallen limb is sought. 



The eggs, from three to five in number, are perhaps the most handsomely, 

 certainly the most quaintly marked of any in the sparrow family. The ground 

 color is grayish white ; and this, in addition to sundry frecklings and cloudings 

 of lavender, is spotted, blotched, and scrawled, with old chestnut. 



The female sits closely and sometimes will not leave the nest until 

 removed. She seldom flies at that, Init steps of^' and trips along the ground 

 for some distance. Then she walks about uneasily or pretends to feed, 

 venturing little expression of concern. Curioush', her liege lord never appears, 

 either, in defense ni his home, but after the young are hatched he does his 

 fair share in feeding them. 



No. 41. 



SANDWICH SPARROW. 



A. O. U. No. 54J. Passerculiis sandwichensis (rimclin). 



Synonym. — Larger S.w.\xx.\ Sparrow. 



Description. — .-Adults: General tone of ui)per plumage grayish brown — the 

 feathers blackish centrally with much edging of grayish-brown (sometimes 

 bay), flaxen and whitish; a mesial crown-.stripe dull bufl'y, or tinged ante- 

 riorly with yellowish ; lateral stripes with grayish brown edging reduced ; 

 a broad superciliary stripe yellow, clearest over lore, paling posteriorly ; cheeks 

 buffy with some mingling and outcropping of dusky; underparts whitish, 

 clearest on throat, washed with buffy on sides, heavily and sharply streaked 

 on sides of throat, breast, sides, flanks and thighs with dusky ; streaks 

 nearly confluent on sides of throat, thus defining submalar area of whitish ; 

 streaks darkest and wedge-shaped on breast, more dift'used and edged with 

 bufl^y posteriorly: under tail-coverts usually but not alzcays with concealed 

 wedge-shaped streaks of dusky; bill dusky or dull horn-color above, lighter 

 below; feet palest; iris dark brown. Fall specimens are brighter; the yellow, 

 no longer prominent in superciliary stripe, is dift'used over plumage of entire 

 head and, occasionally, down sides; the bend of the wing is pale yellow (or not) ; 

 the sides are more strongly suffused with buffer which usually extends across 

 breast. Length about 5.75 (146) ; wing 2.99 (76) : tail 2.00 (51 ) : bill .47 ( 12) ; 

 tarsus .88 (22.5). 



Recognition Marks. — ^^"arbler size 1 !:)ut much more robust in ajipearance 

 than a Warbler) ; general streaky appearance; the striation of the head, viewed 

 from before, radiates in twelve alternating areas of black and white (or yellow) : 

 larger and lighter than the (rare) Savanna Sparrow (P. s. savanna): larger. 



