LINCOLN'S SPARROW 1451 



sexes are practically indistinguishable in all plumages, and the moults 

 are the same in both sexes." 



Although indistinguishable by plumage, the sexes may be dis- 

 tinguished diuing the breeding season by behavioral differences (see 

 Behavior). The female of the 1956 pair at Dorion had a brownish 

 central-breast spot, while the male's breast spot was black. This was 

 undoubtedly an individual variation: some adults of both sexes 

 have breast spots, others have none. 



Food. — The most thorough account of the food of this species in 

 the east is in Sylvester D. Judd (1901) from which we quote: 



Only 31 stomachs of this species have been examined. These were collected 

 during the months of February, April, May, September, and October, mainly in 

 Massachusetts and New York. The food during these months, as indicated by 

 the stomachs, consists of animal matter, 42 percent, and of vegetable matter, 58 

 percent. The animal matter is made up of 2 percent spiders and millipeds and 

 40 percent insects. Useful insects, largely Hymenoptera, with some predacious 

 beetles form 4 percent of the food, and injurious insects, 12 percent. Neutral 

 insects, including beetles, ants, flies, and some bugs, amount to a fourth of the 

 food. More ants (principally Myrmicidae) and fewer grasshoppers are destroyed 

 than by the song sparrow. The vegetable matter is divided as follows: grain, 2 

 percent; seeds of ragweed and various species of Polygonum, 13 percent; grass 

 seed, 27 percent, and miscellaneous seeds, principally weeds, 16 percent. 



McAtee (1911) records the "Lincoln Finch" among those species 

 that eat the clover-root curculio Sitones, a beetle that does "a large 

 amount of obscure damage" to clover. 



The most frequently noted food items taken to the young of our 

 1956 nest were green caterpillars (probably geometrid larvae), 

 greyish larvae (possibly noctuids), small whitish moths (possibly 

 leaf -miners), yellowish larvae (possibly beetle larvae), small green 

 grasshoppers, and brownish larvae (possibly spruce budworm). 



Lincoln's sparrows frequent feeding stations during migration and 

 are often taken in banding traps. At Dorion at least two frequented 

 the feeding station of Rita Taylor daily during the latter half of May 

 but deserted it at the beginning of June. When feeding the birds 

 scratch with both feet at once to uncover concealed food, in the 

 manner of most small sparrows. 



On June 7, 1956 we saw a Lincoln's sparrow jump from the ground 

 under a little spruce tree, fly almost vertically upward two or three 

 feet, snap up a flying insect and, returning to the ground with it, 

 carry it under the spruce tree to dispose of it. 



Voice. — Audubon (1834) has this to say of the song of Lincoln's 

 sparrow: "But if the view of this favoured spot was pleasing to my 

 eye, how much more to my ear were the sweet notes of this bird as 

 they came thrilling on my sense, surpassing in vigour those of any 

 American Finch with which I am acquainted, and forming a song 



