1490 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 pabt s 



Pennsylvania: 26 records, May 20 to June 20. 

 Wisconsin: 22 records, May 17 to June 20; 16 records, May 23 

 to May 20. 



MELOSPIZA GEORGIANA NIGRESCENS Bond and Stewart 



Coastal Plain Swamp Sparrow 



Contributed by David Kenneth Wetherbee 



Habits 



This subspecies is similar to the nominate race but in breeding 

 plumage according to G. M. Bond and R. E. Stewart (1951) the 

 black streaking of the upper parts is distinctly heavier, especially on 

 the nape and dorsal region; feather edgings of the upper parts, much 

 grayer, less rufescent and buffy; tail and bill average darker; flanks, 

 noticeably less buffy. In November specimens, the brown of their 

 upper parts is somewhat richer and darker, and the light edgings of 

 their dorsal feathers are considerably less distinct. This race is 

 similar also to the pale form, M. g. ericrypta Oberholser but in both 

 breeding and winter plumage, feather edgings of the upper parts are 

 considerably narrower, not so whitish. General coloration of dorsal 

 region is even darker than when compared with M. g. georgiana. 

 Measurements based on a very small sample indicate that nigrescens 

 may be slightly larger than the nominate race. 



This race breeds in the Nanticoke River marshes, Wicomico 

 County, across the river from Vienna, Md., and possibly also in other 

 brackish tidal marshes where vegetation is suitable along the east 

 shore of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Delaware. 



Distribution 



Range. — Southern New Jersey to eastern Maryland. 



Breeding range. — The coastal plain swamp sparrow breeds in tidal 

 marshes of the Nanticoke River in southeastern Maryland and 

 adjacent southwestern Delaware, and also around Delaware Bay 

 (Delaware City and Bombay Hook, Delaware; Hancocks Bridge, 

 Port Norris, and Delmont, New Jersey). 



Winter range.- — Winters in the breeding range; also recorded on the 

 Maryland coast (Ocean City), in east-central Virginia (Shirley), and 

 once in the mountains of west-central Virginia (Lexington) . 



Egg dates. — Maryland: 7 records, June 5 to June 22; 5 records, 

 June 10 to June 15. 



