FINCHES 



It is unfortunate that this bird should over 

 h:i\(.- received the descriptive desig-nation, " yel- 

 low-winged," since the ])atch of color which 

 ap].)ears on its shoulders does not justify that de- 

 scription. Consequently, the absence of yellow- 

 wings is likely to mislead an observer who re- 

 members that the bird has been so described. 

 And this likelihood is increased by the extreme 

 shyness of the bird, and its decided disinclina- 

 tion to sit still in plain view if it sees it is being 

 observed. Under such conditions it is almost 

 certain to dive into the nearest cover. So the 

 observer will have to use his eyes quickly and 

 to note accurately the comparatively inconspicu- 

 ous marking of the plumage. 



The insect-like, buzzing song of the bird 

 ( whence its name ) is, however, quite distinctive, 

 and can hardlv be mistaken for that of any other 

 bird of the tields. It faintly suggests the song of 

 the R'.ue-winged \\"arbler. which, however, is es- 

 sentially a bird of the woods. This .Sparrow has 

 the skulking habits of most nf the members of 

 his family who live in the fields and build their 

 nests on the ground. .\lso, like other ground 

 birds, the female, when incubating, will sit still 

 until you are within a few feet of her. and then 

 leave her nest very quietly and flutter along the 

 ground, dragging her wings as if she were dis- 

 abled. This is plainly an instincti\'e efTort to 

 attract attention to herself and away from her 

 precious eggs. If one is determined to discover 

 the nest, it is best to stop short immediately the 

 bird is seen, try to locate that spot exactly, and 

 then mark it with a handkerchief, or a stick 

 thrust into the ground, and long enough to be 

 conspicuous. Then by patiently walking about 

 this spot in circles of slightly increasing diameter, 

 examining minutely every foot of the groimd 

 (and please, "watch your step"), the pretty 

 secret may be revealed. But it must be remem- 

 bered that the nest is built of grasses which 

 blend perfectly with the surroundings, and fur- 

 thermore, that it is an almost completely en- 

 closed structure, the entrance being at the side. 

 so that it is exceedingly difficult to discover it un- 

 less one detects this little door, which is often 

 itself partly concealed. 



If the observer has a very sharp and trained 

 eye, he may notice the almost imperceptible path, 

 a few feet long, by which the Sparrow enters 

 and leaves her little home. Knowledge of this 

 trait is also useful if one undertakes to find the 

 nest by watching the bird until she returns to it, 

 which will take a deal of patience, if the little 

 mother sees she is observed. If, however, the 

 bird leaves her perch on a bush, or fence rail. 



an<l dives into the grass, wait a few minutes, 

 with your gaze concentrated on that spot and 

 then walk slowly and softly toward it and mark- 

 it. Friim here, by very careful scrutiny of the 

 ground, you n-iay lie able to discern the little jiath, 

 for the bird never flies directly to her nest. 

 These suggestions have been offered, because to 

 lind a (Grasshopper Sjiarrow's nest is a real tri- 

 umph in field ornithology — one, indeed, which 

 many a trained observer has never accomjilished. 

 The vegetable food of the Grasshopper Spar- 

 row is of little importance when compared with 

 that of other species. Grain forms 2 per cent, of 

 the food : weed 'iccd amr)mits to about one- 



Courtesy of Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (I nat. size) 

 An extremely shy little bird of the fields 



fourth. Insects form its staple diet, and of 

 these, beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars are 

 the most important. As a destroyer of insect 

 pests the Grasshopper Sparrow is most efficient, 

 and, both its vegetable and animal food consid- 

 ered, it seems to be individually the most useful 

 species of bird whose food habits have been 

 thus far investigated. 



The typical species of the Grasshopper Spar- 

 row family is the Antillean Grasshopper Sparrow 

 {.liiiuiodmiiiiis saz'aiiiiaruiii siwannanmi) : it is a 

 resident of Jan-iaica and Porto Rico and is sim- 

 ilar to the Grasshopper Sparrow of eastern 

 Xorth America but decidedly smaller and darker. 

 In the western United States and south over the 

 ])lains of Mexico, is found the Western Grass- 

 hopper Sparrow (Auimodramus savannarum bi- 

 )iiaciilattis) . This western species is the sanie size 

 as the eastern. Init of a paler coloration ;ind with 

 more rusty brown and less black on the upper 

 jiarts. 



