FINCHES 



55 



biincli of flags or sedge grass, in or on edge of marshes, 

 or wet meadows; constructed entirely of grass and a 

 few leaves, lined with finer similar material. P2ggs : 

 4 or 5. pale greenish or bluish white, clouded with 

 yellowish brown and lilac. 



Distribution. — Eastern North .America to the Plains, 

 north to the Hritish provinces, including Newfoundland 

 and Labrador ; breeds from the northern States north- 

 ward : and winters from Massachusetts southward to 

 the Gulf States. 



Any swamp — within its natural range — 

 whether near the ocean or inland, is good enough 

 for the Swamp Sparrow, and occasionally it 

 spends the winter — if the weather be not too 

 severe — in cat-tail marshes along the coast of 

 Long Island and sotithern New England. The 

 song resembles tliat of the Chipping Sparrow, 

 though the quality of the tone is sweeter and 

 fuller. 



^^'alter .S. Barrows says, in Michigan Bird 

 Life: " In our own experience the song merely 

 suggests that of the Chipping Sparrow, but the 

 notes are less rapid, far sweeter, and have a 

 distinct metallic or bell-like tone which suggests 

 the ring of cut glass." 



The bird's plain breast distinguishes it 

 from the Song Sparrow, many of which are 

 found in the swamps in autumn, while in the 

 spring its reddish-brown wings atid chestnut- 

 colored crown are not duplicated by any member 

 of its family, save the Chipping Sparrow, which 

 does not frequent swamps and has a rnore slender 

 figure. 



The food habits of this bird are sitnilar to 

 those of the Song Sparrow. It takes more 

 seeds of polygonums than most birds and eats 

 largely of the seeds of the sedges and aquatic 

 panicums that abound in its swampy habitat. 





NEST AND EGGS OF SWAMP SPARROW 



FOX SPARROW 



Passerella iliaca iliaca (Mcrrcm) 



A. O, U. Number 585 See Color Plate 83 



Other Names. — Foxy Finch: Ferru,ginous Finch; 

 Fo.x-tail ; Fox-colored Sparrow. 



General Description. — Length. ()y, inches. Upper 

 parts, gray streaked with brown, or uniform chestnut; 

 under parts, white spotted with chestnut. Bill, large, 

 conical, sharp-pointed, and strong; wings, long and 

 pointed; tail, about •S', length of wing, very slightly 

 rounded or double rounded. 



Color. — AnuLTS : Upper parts, mixed deep rusty 

 and brownish gray in variable proportions. 1. Grav 

 Phase: Above, olive-gray, the back and shoulders 

 broadly streaked Xi'ilh rusty brown or chestnut, the 

 crown tinged with the same ; lower rump and upper 



tail-coverts, cinnamon-rufous; the middle and greater 

 wing-co\erts. narrm^'ly tipj^ed zvilh zchifish ; wings and 

 inner webs of tail-feathers, dusky brown; under parts, 

 white heavily spotted on chest, sides of throat, etc., 

 with chestnut-rufous ; the sides and flanks, broadly 

 streaked with same. IL Rtipous Phase: .'\bove. nearly 

 uniform chestnut or chestnut-rufous, the upper rump, 

 sides of neck, and ear region slightly intermixed with 

 olive or olive-grayish ; inider parts as in the gray 

 phase, but the chestnut-rufous spots larger, more 

 confluent. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: On ground, under ever- 

 greens; constructed of grass, moss, fine twigs, and a 



