PESrE-WOODS BACHMAN'S SPARROW 971 



2 inches inside depth. In addition to the tentlike covering of grass, 

 it was definitely domed in its construction by the birds themselves. 

 An opening in the grass clump provided entrance, but so well con- 

 cealed was the nest that had I not seen the bird go to it I would not 

 have found it." The finding of a domed nest of the Florida race is 

 directly at variance with a statement of C. E. Bendire's (1888), cited 

 in the section Nesting in the account of A. a. bachmani, that the nests 

 of A. a. aestivalis are "not arched over in any way, perfectly round, 

 with the sides every^vhere of equal height." 



Much of the ground cover in the pine woods of Florida consists of 

 saw palmetto (Serenoa serrvlata). Many nests of this sparrow are 

 located beneath low-growdng palmetto fronds that lie in a plane 

 parallel to the ground. They are thus not only well protected, but 

 are also completely concealed and are very difficult to find. 



Samuel A. Grimes (1931), of Jacksonville, Fla., cites an example of 

 a remarkably short interval between successive nestings: "On May 11 

 a nest \vith three small young was noted, on the ground under a 

 palmetto frond. These young were successfully reared, and on May 

 23 this pair was found making a new nest a hundred feet from the 

 first. Seven days later this second nest held five eggs." 



The measurements of 21 eggs average 19.2 by 15.4 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the four extremes measure S0.5 by 15.7, 20.3 by 

 15.8, 17.8 by 15.2, and 17.9 by I4.8 millimeters. 



A note on the food of this race is given by A. H. Howell (1932) : 

 "Examination of the stomachs of 8 specimens of this species taken in 

 Florida showed the bird's food to consist mainly of insects and spiders, 

 with smaller proportions of seeds of grasses and other plants. The 

 insects most frequently taken were grasshoppers and crickets and 

 their allies, these composing the major portion of the food in four of 

 the stomachs and being present in aU but one. Other insects eaten 

 were beetles, moths, leaf hoppers, caterpillars and Hymenoptera. 

 Seeds taken included blueberry seeds, pine seeds, and seeds of various 

 grasses and sedges." 



A unique instance of the extremes to which this secretive sparrow 

 ^\'ill go to escape detection is given by James A. Pittman, Jr. (1960). 

 In the pine woods near Orlando, Fla., a party of observers saw a 

 sparrow disappear into a small isolated clump of saw palmetto. 

 After an unsuccessful attempt to flush the bird again, it was discovered 

 that the palmetto clump concealed the entrance to a burrow of the 

 gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) , and one member of the party 

 glimpsed a small bird at the limit of visibility down the burrow. By 

 opening the burrow, the bird was finally caught at a point almost 4 

 feet back from the entrance and 2 feet below the surface of the ground. 

 It was identified as a Bachman's (pine-woods) sparrow. 



