492 MlClIKiAN BiKl) I.IFE. 



ably in wet places), and when flushed flying rapidly and often in a zigzag 

 manner, and dropping suddenly out of sight to run rapidly away again. 

 There may be scores of the birds scattered through a meadow, yet the 

 inexperienced collector will find but two or three. When nesting begins 

 tlie male sings rather constantly and is often seen to perch on a low bush, 

 a fence, or even a tree, and repeat his song at intervals of a few seconds 

 for half an hour at a time. But the song itself is so feeble and so devoid 

 of striking characters that it is not likely to attract attention. 



The nest is doubtless variable in composition and location, but, from the 

 fact that while with us the birds are found almost invariably in damp 

 situations, we should expect the nest to be placed in low grounds, or at 

 least very close to them, and this is the case in the few instances known to 

 us. It is usually described as sunken to the rim in the ground, made of a 

 few grasses and weed stems, and often completely hidden. The eggs are 

 four or five, bluish-white, spotted with reddish brown, usually quite thickly. 

 They average .78 b}^ .56 inches. 



From the early arrival of this species and the fact that Mr. Hankinson 

 found a nest with young near the College, June 21, 1897, it seems likely 

 that, like most other sparrows, it rears two broods; yet the fact that the 

 male does not appear to sing after midsummer may indicate that a second 

 nest is not a regular thing. 



The food does not differ materially from that of other ground sparrows 

 so far as we know. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Outer tail-feathers longer than the middle ones. 



Adult (sexes alike) : Upper j^arts grayish or brownish-gray, thickly streaked with 

 dark brown or black, the streaks on either side of crown so close together as to appear 

 almost solid black and always leaving a distinct median stripe of grayish; a distinct yellow 

 stripe from nostril over eye and backward, and a whitish stripe from base of lower nuincUble, 

 bounded below by a dark line along the side of throat, and above by a similar line skirting 

 the ear-coverts; chin and throat white or whitish, faintly or not at all spotted; chest and 

 sides boldly streaked with brown or black; lower breast, belly and under tail-coverts white 

 and unspotted; wings and tail blackish, all the feathers with narrow edgings of whitish 

 on the outer webs; the bend of the wing distinctly yellowish. About one specimen in three 

 lias the chest streaks somewhat crowded together so as to form an indistinct spot. Autumn 

 specimens are decidedly more brownish above, the sides of the head more buffy and fre- 

 quently washed with pale yellow, while the tertiaries are broadly edged with buff or brown 

 and sometimes the secondaries also; upper mandible dusky, lower yellowish; iris brown. 

 Young birds are similar to adults, but usually browner, the markings not so sharji and 

 distinct, and ordinarily without the yellow stripe over the eye. 



Length 4.85 to 5.50 inches; wing 2.60 to 2.90; tail 1.90 to 2.20; culmen .38 to .43. 



222. Grasshopper Sparrow. Ammodramus savannarum australis Maynard. 



(546) 



Synonyms: Yellow-winged Sparrow. — Ammodromus australis, Maynard, 1887. — Frin- 

 gilla passerina, Wilson, Bonap., Aud.- — Coturniculus passerinus, Baird, Sclater, Allen, 

 Coues, etc. — Ammodramus savannarum passerinus, Ridgw., 1885, A. O. U. Check-list, 

 1886, and most recent authors. 



Streaked above but plain below, the edge of the wing bright yellow, 

 and usually a distinct yellowish spot just in front of and above the eye. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 

 Plains, south in winter to Florida, Cuba, Porto Rico and coast of Central 

 America. 



This little sparrow appears to be restricted to the southern half of the 



