AMMODRAMUS BELDINGI RIDGW. (BELDING'S MARSH 

 SPARROW).* 



BV B. T. GAULT. 



While at National City, San Diego County, California, during 

 the Spring of 1883, my attention was directed to the salt marshes 

 of that locality as being the place to look for something rare in the 

 line of bird life. 



A trip was accordingly made to the marshes May 24th, with 

 the following success: I found A. beldingi to be very abundant in 

 certain spots, as many as five or six being seen from one stand in 

 the space of as many minutes. 



At first I was struck with the similarity of action to that of 

 the Yellow-winged Sparrow \Atjimodramus savannarum passer- 

 inus], more particularly in their manner of flight, as they skimmed 

 over the marsh, but a few feet above its surface, in short, irregu- 

 lar flights. Being unconscious of the fact that I was among rare 

 birds, as it seems they have turned out to be, I regret very much 

 that I did not give them the study I should, had I known positively 

 what they were. 



Nevertheless, after going over the marsh carefully, for the pur- 

 pose of securing specimens of the California Clapper Rail \RaIlus 

 obsoletus\ I turned my steps towards the sparrows. 



Three specimens were shot, the second, a female, was flushed 

 from a nest of eggs and afterwards shot. She was very shy in 

 her movements, and proved to be very difficult to approach; this 

 was augmented by the treacherous condition of the tide-water 

 ditches which intersect the marshes in all directions, the larger 

 branches being too wide to jump and too muddy to wade; however, 

 the bird was finally brought to bag. Had my eyes not been turned 

 in the direction of the nest, I should certainly have overlooked it, 

 for I could not have been nearer than seventy or eighty feet when 

 the bird fliew, but with a peculiarity that immediately attracted my 

 attention. 



She at first shot off quietly a few inches above the marsh, then 

 settled down not twenty-five feet away; then upon again, short- 



♦This was originally described as Passereulus anthinus, but is, I think, referable to this 

 species — Ed. 



