LAND BIRDS. 521 



236. Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolni lincolni (And.). (583) 



Synonyms: Lincoln's Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Finch. — Fringilla lincolni, And. 1834. 

 — Passerculus lincolni, Bonap., 1838. — Peucsea lincolni, Aud., 1839. — Melospiza lincolni, 

 Baird, 1858, and most authors. 



Very similar to the Song Sparrow, but rather smaller, not so reddish 

 above, no large spot on the breast, but a buffy band across the chest. 

 It is streaked above and below like the Song Sparrow, but the dark streaks 

 are finer, sharper and blacker. 



Distribution. — North America at large, breeding chiefly north of the 

 United States and in the higher parts of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra 

 Nevada; south in winter to Panama. 



This bird is probably not uncommon in Michigan, although from its 

 resemblance to the Song Sparrow it doubtless is often overlooked. There 

 is no reason why it should not nest within our limits, but so far as we 

 know its nest has not yet been found here. As a spring migrant it arrives 

 from the south much later than the Song Sparrow, probably never earlier 

 than the second week in May, and sometimes not before the end of the 

 month. Considering the rarity of the bird in collections it is rather re- 

 markable that it should be so frequently killed at lighthouses. We have 

 seven records from Spectacle Reef Light, ranging from May 15 to May 23, 

 with one record for September 24 (1889). Mr. N. A. Eddy also reports 

 one killed on the electric Hght tower at Bay City, May 15, 1890. Mr. 

 Wm. Brewster took one at Oden late in May, 1888, Dr. Gilibs reported 

 it from the neighborhood of Kalamazoo September 28 and October 9, 

 1879, and Detroit collectors have taken it repeatedly during the first week 

 in October, while migrating. Mr. N. A. Wood reports one taken on Isle 

 Roy ale, September 1, 1904, and found it common on the Charity Islands, 

 Saginaw Bay, during the fall migration, 1910. He writes: "The Lincoln's 

 Sparrow was seen first September 7 and I noticed two distinct waves of 

 them. September 16 I found this species common on the first sand-dune 

 on the west beach and saw probably more than one hundred. On Septem- 

 ber 29 I saw numbers also and October 1st still common, but not seen 

 after that date, as all left that night." Among the thousands of small 

 birds killed during migration on the night of Oct. 10-11, 1906, along the 

 eastern shore of Lake Huron, were many Lincoln's Sparrows, Mr. W. E. 

 Saunders finding twelve specimens among the 1845 dead birds counted. 

 (See page 26 of this volume). 



It seems to be much more shy than the Song Sparrow and is most often 

 seen skulking along the bushes beside a stream, or from one corner to another 

 of a worm fence in low ground. In its summer home it is said to sing 

 from the top of a bush, in much the same manner as the common Song 

 Sparrow. According to .Jonathan Dwight, Jr., in the north it sometimes 

 "surprises the hearer with a most unsparrow-like song. It is not loud, 

 and suggests the bubbling, guttural notes of the House Wren, combinecl 

 with the sweet rippling music of the Purple Finch, and when you think 

 the song is done there is an unexpected aftermath. The birds sing very 

 little and at long intervals, and are seldom heard during the later hours 

 of the day, ceasing at once if anybody approaches." 



The food, so far as it has been examined, is very similar to that of the 

 Song Sparrow. Owing to the scarcity of the bird in this state it is of course 

 of no economic importance. 



