60 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



white, only the abdomen and throat immaculate; lores, cheeks, malar region, auriculars, 

 and neck (all round), sti eaked with dusky ; breast, sides, and flanks, barred or transversely 

 spotted with dusky, the bars more sagittate on the crissum. Winter plumage: Above, 

 rather light ash-gray, without the black, but with the white spotting of the summer dress; 

 foreneck and jugulum more narrowly streaked; breast nearly or quite immaculate, and 

 sides and flanks faintly and irregularly marked with grayish. Young, first plumage: Simi- 

 lar to the winter dress, but darker and more brownish above, the white spotting tinged with 

 light brownish buff ; lower parts as in winter adult. Bill black; iris brown; legs and feet 

 deep yellow (tinged with olive in young). 



Total length, about 14 inches; wing, 7.50-7.75; culmen, 2.20-2.30 ; tarsus, 2.50-2.75; middle 

 toe, 1.35-1.50. 



"A common migrant and regular summer resident. Breeds. 

 Arrives about the middle of April, the larger portion passing 

 north early in May. Keturns September first, and remains until 

 the last of October. In June, 1875, I found several pairs of 

 these birds about the Calumet Marshes, where, from their ac- 

 tions, I was certain they were breeding, but was not fortunate 

 enough to find their nests. The 10th of June, 1876, Mr. Kice 

 observed a pair about a prairie slough, near Evanston. A few 

 days later a set of four eggs were brought him from a similar 

 situation a few miles northwest of that place, and from the 

 description of the parent bird — driven from the nest — he decided 

 they must belong to this species. I perfectly agree with Mr. 

 Kice's decision, for the prominent characteristics noticed by the 

 collector are obviously applicable to this bird. 



"The nest was situated in a slight depression at the base of 

 a small hillock near the border of a prairie slough, and was 

 composed of grass stems and blades. The eggs measure respect- 

 ively 1.70x1.30; 1.72x1.31; 1.74x1.32; 1.80x1.38 inches. The 

 ground color is a deep grayish white, marked on three eggs with 

 spots of dark brown, and on the other egg with spots and 

 well-defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same. 

 In addition there are shell markings and obscure spots of lilac. 

 The markings are disposed quite abundantly over the surface 

 of the egg, but are more numerous about the larger end." 

 (Nelson, Bull Essex Inst. VIII., 1876, pp. 128, 129.) 



