THE SAVANNA SPARROW. 



No. 26. 



SAVANNA SPARROW. 



A. O. U. No. 542a. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna (Wils.). 



Description. — Adults in spring : Superciliary line and edge of wing near 

 alula pale yellow (at a distance often not distinguishable from white) ; a huffy 

 or whitish median crown line separating two broad, blackish stripes; blackish (but 

 poorly defined) maxillary, rictal, and post-ocular stripes, — the last two usually 

 meeting behind and enclosing the buffy auriculars ; above, in general, brownish 

 black, the feathers having black centers, bordered first by rufous or ochraceous 

 buff, then by ashy; below, white or sordid, the belly and crissum unmarked; the 

 chin and throat with tiny, and the breast with large, wedge-shaped spots of 

 brownish-black (sometimes coalescing to form central blotch); sides and flanks 

 heavily streaked with the same. At other seasons and in young birds, the yellow 

 is more pronounced and the general pattern is somewhat obscured by a buffy 

 or ochraceous suffusion. Adult male, length 5.30-5.60 (134.6-142.2) ; wing 2.75 

 (69.9) ; tail 2.10 (53.3) ; bill .40 (10.2). Female averages a little smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size (but much more robust in appearance 

 than a warbler) ; general streaky appearance; the striation of the head, viewed 

 from before, radiates in twelve alternating black and white (or yellowish) areas. 



Nest, on the groufid, sunken flush with surface, lined indifferently with 

 grasses. Eggs, 4-6, greenish- or bluish-white, heavily spotted, mottled, or washed 

 with reddish brown or lilac. Av. size. .78 x .56 (19.8 x 14.2). 



General Range. — Eastern North America, breeding from the northern 

 United States to Labrador and Hudson Bay territory. 



Range in Ohio. — Spring and fall migrant ; not very common, and of local 

 distribution. A few remain to breed. 



DR. WHEATON'S statement: "Very common spring and fall 

 migrant in southern and eastern, and probably summer resident in northern 

 Ohio", is somewhat puzzling and perhaps a little irritating to one who, having 

 spent at least parts of eleven seasons in the field, has encountered only three 

 isolated examples of the species in the state. The Doctor probably depended 

 greatly upon some favored haunt near Columbus not now known. I find upon 

 inquiry that most available notebooks of the present day contain only scattering 

 and meager references to this rather rare and irregular migrant. Mr. H. C. 

 Oberholser, in his "Birds of Wayne County" says of it: "A transient visitor: 

 apparently rare, though in proper localities usually ti 1 be t< »und in spring. Not 

 observed in the fall. It arrived about the middle of April, the sixteenth of 

 this month being the earliest date recorded." Rev. W. F. Henninger in "Birds 

 of Middle Southern Ohio". 1 says, "A common transient, but not so common 

 as a summer resident. Arrival April 28, 1898. April 5, 1899; departure 

 Oct. 17. 1894. Oct. 29. 1897. Nov. 2^. 1898." It has no place among the 

 recent records of the Wheaton Club in Columbus. 



