LAND BIRDS. 523 



is doubtless much more common all over the state than is generally 

 supposed. 



The nest, which is much like that of the Song Sparrow, is placed usually 

 in a tuft or tussock of grass rising directly from the water. Possibly it 

 is sometimes placed in a dry situation, but we have never seen one where 

 the water was not at least ankle-deep. The eggs are three to five, similar 

 to those of the Song Sparrow, but usually with greener or bluer ground 

 color, and the markings coarser and scantier. They average .76 by .56 

 inches. 



Descriptions of the song vary much. Hoffmann says "It is simple but 

 musical, as if a Chipping Sparrow were singing in the marshes an un- 

 usually sweet song. The call-note is a metallic chink." Bicknell says 

 "In the spring and summer the song is a simple monotone; in the autumn 

 this is often varied and extended with accessory notes. A few preliminary 

 chirps merging into a fine trill introduce the run of notes which constitutes 

 the usual song, which now terminates with a few slower somewhat liquid 

 notes." Seton Thompson says "The commonest song is a simple rapid 

 twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, all in the 

 same note and so rapidly as to be almost a twitter. This is uttered at 

 intervals from some dead branch projecting above the rest of the copse. 

 If not disturbed the singer will sit quietly on this ])ranch for an hour, 

 repeating his ditty once or twice a minute." 



In our own experience the song merely suggests that of the Chipping 

 Sparrow, but the notes are less rapid, far sweeter, and have a distinct 

 metallic or bell-Uke tone which suggests the ring of cut glass. When 

 heard in the dusk of evening it certainly is one of the sweetest sparrow songs 

 which we can recall. 



The food appears to consist largely of seeds of sedges, grasses and weeds, 

 varied to a consideralile extent with insects; these, however, are probably 

 of little account to the agriculturist owing to the swampy nature of the 

 halntat. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Afhili (sexes alike): Crown bright chestnut, the forehead clear l)lack and often a few 

 black streaks running back into the chestnvit of the crown; most of the rest of upper parts 

 reddish-brown, boldly streaked with black on the middle back and scapulars, and more 

 narrowly on the upper tail-coverts and rump; a more or less perfect collar of ash-gray on 

 the back of neck, sometimes clear but more often streaked with blackish; a conspicuous 

 ash-gray stripe over the eye, beginning at the nostril, bounded below by a black postocular 

 stripe; a blackish line from corner of mouth along under margin of ear-coverts, and a 

 similar line from base of lower mandible along side of throat, tliesc two enclosing a lighter 

 stripe which is gray or buffy according to season; throat and belly wliitish or pale gray, 

 the chest and sides darker gray, usually tinged with brown on sides and flanks, but without 

 spots or streaks; outer webs of most of the primaries, secondaries, and middle and greater 

 wing-coverts, bright chestnut; the tertiaries mainly deep black, edged externally with 

 chestnut which whitens toward the tips; bill blackish above, brownish yellow below; iris 

 brown. 



In autumn and in immature birds the crown is commonly streaked with chestnut and 

 black, with a more or less conspicuous median stripe of gray, and the chest and sides are 

 distinctly brownish, with some indistinct dusky streaks. Very young birds are similar, 

 but much more distinctly streaked with blackish below, often on throat and belly as well 

 as on breast and sides. 



Length 5.25 to 6 inches; wing 2..30 to 2.50; tail 2. 10 to 2.70. 



