FINCHES 



31 



Louisiana Seaside Sparrow or Fislier's Seaside 

 Sparrow {Passcrhcrhiihis luariliiiiiis fi^iicri) is 

 niucli darker than Macgillivray's, often tlu- black- 

 on the upper parts exceeding the olive-gray, and 

 the ground color of the underparts being deep 

 bufTy ; it breeds on the coast of Louisiana and 

 in winter is distributed along the coast of Texas 

 and on the west coast of Florida. The fourth 

 variety is the Texas Seaside S]>arrow ( Passcr- 

 hcrbuhis iiwritiiiuix sciiiirtfi). .\s its name 

 would indicate, it is found along the coast of 

 Texas. It is smaller, paler, and much more buffv 

 than the Seaside, with the shoulders and the 

 space between distinctly darker than the rest of 

 the upper i)arts. 



that this species is abundant and that the 

 region it inhabits is in no sense isolated, but that 

 both to the north aiul the south there are marshes 

 apparently simil.ar to those it occupies, the re- 

 striction of its range to an area onh- a few square 

 miles in extent makes its distrilnition unique 

 among North American birds." 



The food habits of the Seaside Sparrow and 

 the .Shar]>tailed .Sparrow are very similar both 

 in elements and in the proportions of the food. 

 There are, however, some minor differences of 

 details. Thus, the .Seaside .Sparrow does not 

 take nearly so many sand fleas as its congener, 

 but it feeds on small crabs which so far as 

 known form no part of the food of the Sharp- 



SEASIDE SPARROW ' ; nat. si! 



Closely allied to the Seaside .S])arriiw ])Ut cun 

 stituting a different s])ecies is the Dusky .Seaside 

 Sparrow [ Fasscrlicrbiiliis iiif/rcscciis ) . Its gen- 

 eral coloratiiin above is lilrul^. indistinctl\' streak- 

 ed with olive .and gr,i\ish ; the wing and tail 

 feathers are edged witli oli\'e-brown : tlu- under 

 ])arts are white thickly and broadly streaked 

 with black: the ed.ge of the wing and ;i s|)ot 

 above the lores are ganibo,ge-yellow. It is found 

 in the marshes at the northern end of the Indian 

 River, east coast of Florida. Of this species. 

 Dr. Chapman says: "In view of the fact 



tailed .Sparrow. I'.ecause of the limited distribu- 

 tion of these birds they pr(jbabl\' do not come 

 in contact to any great extent with cultivated 

 cro|)s. In so far as they destro\- insect enemies 

 of s.alt-marsh hay they are hel])ful. and in so 

 far as they destroy enemies of insects which 

 prey upon this crop, they are harmful : but other- 

 wise they exercise little influence on agriculture. 

 The birds do not prey on the s.alt-marsh cater- 

 pillars, so destructive to the hay. and thev de- 

 stroy a considerable amoitnt of the seed of the 

 marsh grasses. 



LARK SPARROW 



Chondestes grammacus grammacus (Sav) 



Other Names.— Quail-head; Kuad-bird ; Lark Finch; 

 Little Meadnwlark. 



General Description.— Length, b'/'. inches. Upper 

 I)arts, bro\vnish-Kra.v streaked with blackish ; under 

 parts, white. Hill, stout; wings, long and pointed; 

 tail, \ong and rounded ; feet, small. 



Vol. III. — 4 



Color. — .'\dults : Crown and ear region, chestnut, 

 the former with a center stripe of pale brownish-gray 

 or grayish-bulif ; over eye a broad stripe of white, 

 becoming buffy toward the rear; under eye a large 

 white crescent-shaped spot; under farts, white l)econn'ng 

 bufTy grayish-brown on sides and flanks: tlie cliest 



