498 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



225. Nelson's Sparrow. Passerherbulus nelsoni nelsoni (AZZew). (549.1) 



Synonyms: Nelson's Finch, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Finch. — Ammodramus caudacutus 

 var. nelsoni, Allen, 1875. — A. c. nelsoni, A. O. U. Check-list, 1886. — Ammodramus nelsoni, 

 A. O. U. Committee, 1899. 



Somewhat similar to Henslow's Sparrow, but decidedly browner above 

 and below, the throat, breast and sides strong buffy-brown with few or no 

 streaks of black. Not readily identified except by the expert. 



Distribution. — Fresh water marshes of the interior, from northern 

 Illinois to North Dakota and Manitoba; south in winter to Texas and 

 drifting eastward to the Atlantic coast during migrations. 



This rare sparrow was first described in 1874 from specimens obtained 

 in Calumet marsh, northeastern Illinois. Dr. Morris Gibbs states that on 

 October 5, 1878, Mr. William Ely secured two specimens of Nelson's Sparrow, 

 an adult female and a young male, in Kalamazoo county. The young 

 specimen was preserved in the collection of G. B. Sudworth. Another 

 specimen was shot near Detroit September 27, 1893, by J. Claire Wood, 

 and is now in the collection of B. H. Swales, Grosse Isle. 



The birds frequent wet places, and apparently prefer the margins of lakes, 

 where they delight to run about among the bullrushes wdiich fringe the shores 

 or grow in the water. They are said to be abundant, sometimes exceedingly 

 so, in September and October about Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin, but 

 no specimens are found in spring or summer. It has been found nesting 

 near Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where E. S. Rolfe took a nest and five 

 eggs, sunken in the wet earth and Iniilt of fine dry grass. The eggs were 

 grayish-white, thickly sprinkled and clouded with brown, and average 

 .65 by .50 inches. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Tail mucli graduated, the feathers slender and acute, the outer pair much shorter than 

 the middle ones. 



Adult (sexes alike): "Crown without a distinct median pale stripe, at least anteriorly; 

 edge of wing very pale yellowish, supraloral streak deep buff or ochraceous, like the rest 

 of the very distinct superciliary stripe; malar stripe deep buff or ochraceous. Above 

 olivaceous, mixed or glossed with ashy, the sides of the back streaked with ashy, buffy 

 or whitish, the crown with two broad lateral stripes of sepia-brown enclosing a narrower 

 and less distinct one of grayish; chest and sides more or less distinctly washed with buff 

 or ochraceous (often deeply of this color) and streaked with dusky or grayish. Young: 

 Above dull ochraceous, the back broadly streaked with black, and sides of the crown chiefly 

 of the latter color; lower parts entirely buff, streaked on chest with dusky. Colors of upper 

 parts usually very sharply contrasted, especially the chalky white streaks of back, as 

 compared with the rich umber-brown ground color; chest and sides usually very deep buff 

 or ochraceous and not very distinctly or sharply streaked with dusky. Length 4.<S() to 

 5.85 inches; wing 2.12 to 2.35; tail 1.83 to 2.21; culmen .49 to .53" (Ridgway). 



Males average somewhat larger than females. 



226. Lark Sparrow. Chondestes grammacus grammacus (Say.). (552) 



Synonyms: Lark Finch, Little Meadowlark. — Fringilla grammaca, Say, 1823.— Chon- 

 destes grammaca, Bonap., Baird, Allen, etc.^C. grammica, Brewster, Gibbs, Ridgway. 

 and others. — Chondestes grammacus, A. O. U. Check-list, 1886, and most recent authors, 



Figure 115. 



The head, broadly striped with chestnut, white, and black, the small 

 black spot in the center of the breast, and the rounded tail, most of the 



