THE LARK SPARROW. 63 



breeding in Manitobia. It is a skulker of the deeper swamps, and as such is 

 consistently opposed to any course of action calculated to bring it before the 

 public eye. 



With reference to the single occurrence in Ohio, Mr. Sim says : "My 

 specimen of the Nelson Sparrow was taken near the mouth of Cowles Creek, 

 Geneva, Ohio. The bird was first seen at 7 P. M. (May 17,1902) skulking 

 among the weeds of a barren tree-fringed knoll several acres in extent. It 

 finally ascended to the lower branches of a stunted thorn-tree overhanging the 

 beach of the lake. It regard to the color and markings this was the most ex- 

 quisite little Sparrow that I have seen. The upper parts were striped as evenly 

 as the back of a chipmunk and the stripes of the head were beautiful in their 

 contrast and arrangement. But the large feet, small wings, and short tail 

 gave the bird an odd look — almost railish." 



No. 30. 



LARK SPARROW. 



A. O. U. No. 552. Chondestes grammacus (Say). 



Synonym. — Quail-head. 



Description. — Adult : Head variegated black, white, and chestnut ; lateral 

 head-stripes black in front, chestnut behind ; auriculars chestnut, bounded by rictal 

 and post-orbital black stripes ; narrow loral, and broader submalar black stripes ; 

 malar, superciliary, and median stripes white, the two latter becoming buffy 

 behind : upper parts huffish gray-brown, clearest on sides of neck, streaked by 

 blackish brown centers of feathers on middle back and scapulars, persisting as 

 edging on the fuscous wings and tail ; tail-feathers, except middle pair, broadly 

 tipped with white; below white, purest on throat and belly, washed with grayish 

 buff on sides and crissum, also obscurely across fore-breast, in which is situated 

 a central black spot. Length 6.2c; (158.8) ; wing 3.39 (86.1) ; tail 2.62 (66.6) ; 

 bill .46 (11.7). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; head variegated black, white, and chest- 

 nut ; fan-shaped tail broadly tipped with white and conspicuous in flight (thus 

 easily distinguished from the Vesper Sparrow with square tail and lateral white 

 feathers). 



Nest, of grasses, lined with finer grass, rootlets and occasionally horse-hair, 

 on the ground or, rarely, in low bushes or trees. Eggs, 3-5, white, pinkish or 

 bluish white, spotted and scrawled in zigzags and scrolls with dark browns or 

 purplish blacks, chiefly at the larger end. Av. size. .82 x .65 (20.8 x 16.5). 



General Range. — Southern Ontario, and Mississippi Valley region, from 

 Ohio, Illinois and Michigan to the Plains, south to southern Texas and north- 

 western Alabama. Accidental near Atlantic Coast. 



Range in Ohio. — Not common summer resident in central and southern, 

 rare in northern Ohio. Of local distribution, but probably on the increase. 



