BACHIVIANS SPARROW 961 



to locate," Clearl}', I am not one of the initiated or else am particu- 

 larly inept at nest finding, for I have found fewer than a dozen nests 

 in more than 50 years, and those few purely by chance, never as a 

 result of crawling: around on the ground below habitual singing perches. 

 Maurice Brooks (1938) states that "One male whose nest was dis- 

 covered had a favorite singing perch * * * about fifty yards from the 

 nest. The birds were not crowded in their territory, and we found 

 some points from which habitual singing was carried on at distances 

 of seventy-five to one hundred yards from the nest." 



As would be expected of a species whose nesting range spans a 10" 

 latitude, dates of nesting at or near the upper and lower extremes of 

 the range differ materially. A. H. Howell (1924) cites April 30 and 

 July 14 as inclusive dates on which full sets of eggs were found in 

 southern Alabama. A. Sprunt and E. B. Chamberlain (1949) state 

 that the average date of first nests in the Charleston, S.C., area is 

 from April 28 to May 4 but that, in fonvard seasons, nests have been 

 found early in April. They also state that three broods are reared in 

 a season, \vith the third brood hatching in August. Mam'ice Brooks 

 (1938) cites the extreme dates at French Creek, W. Va., as May 27 

 and July 2, and concludes that two broods may be reared in a season. 

 With only five nests to my credit in the Pensacola, Fla., area, my 

 inclusive dates are of but Httle significance; but it seems probable 

 that, from the greatly protracted length of the song period which goes 

 well into August, at least two broods are reared. 



Several observers agree that the female alone does all the nest 

 building and all the incubation of the eggs, but only one WTiter goes 

 into any detail. B. J. Bhncoe (1921) of Bardstown, Ky., states 

 tliat: "The male generally accompanied the female as she carried the 

 nesting material, and, frequently, he sang while she searched over the 

 ground for the piece of dead grass suited to her needs." 



The only nest measurements that I can find in the literature are 

 given by Charles E. Bendire (1888), when describing a series of sLx 

 nests taken by William C. Avery near Greensboro, Ala. The measure- 

 ments are presumably the average of the six nests, for he states 

 that "These measurements vary somewhat in different specimens. 

 All six nests were distinctly roofed over or domed * * *. They 

 are cylindrical in shape, about seven or eight inches in height, and four 

 and one half inches wide. The inner cavity is from three to four 

 inches in length, about two inches wide, and one and three quarters 

 inches high. The rear wall of the nest is about one and three quarters 

 inches thick, the sides about an inch, and the roof a Httle over half 

 an inch in thickness. * * * the roof projects somewhat over the 

 entrance in all cases. * * * the entrance is invariably canted 



