158 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



Sparrow^ MjincoltVs, — Length, five and three-fourths 

 inches ; bill, two-fifths of an inch. General appearance 

 similar to the Song Sparrow. The upper parts consist of 

 black, gray and brown streaks, the under parts are white 

 with black streaks and with strong buff tint across the 

 breast and down th^ sides, a stripe of yellow^ buff on each 

 side of the head from the base of the bill. They nest on 

 the ground, the nest being made of grasses, small roots 

 and tendrils and lined with hair. The eggs are four or 

 five in number, white, with a green or yellow tinge, and 

 four-fifths by three-fifths of an inch in size. They breed 

 north of the United States and southward along the high 

 mountains and spend the winter in Mexico. They are very 

 rare in New Jersey and never seen excepting during the 

 spring or fall migrations. 



Sparrow^ Seasitle. — Length, six inches; bill, three- 

 fifths of an inch, lead color; throat, white, a dusky line 

 on each side; a yellow line before the eye; back, grayish 

 green; breast, mottled gray and white; belly, white; sides, 

 gray; tail, grayish brown, the feathers having dull green- 

 ish edges; wings, dusky, with yellow^ line at the bend; 

 feet, dark. Young birds are very different; brown above, 

 streaked with l)lack; buft'y white below, with lilack 

 streaks on the l)reast. 



The birds nest on the ground, the nest being built of 

 grasses and reeds and lined with finer grasses. The eggs 

 are either three or four in number, white, with a bluish 

 tinge, and with brown spots most numerous near the 

 large end, and four-fifths by two-thirds of au inch in size. 



The birds breed from Massachusetts southward along 

 the Atlantic coast and in the winter go southward of 

 North Carolina. They are very abundant along the New 

 Jersey coast and Delaware bay, in the brackish marshes, 

 a few occasionally wintering in the southern part of the 

 state. 



Their song consists of a chirp of four or five notes. 



