46 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



(Editorial Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. Ill, p. 

 31.) 



Under the date of June 12, Mr. 

 Morrill informed me of the capture 

 and fixed the date of the event on 

 June 8, 1901, and stated that "It sang 

 quite persistently." ( Morrell in 

 Epist. June 12, J901.) Mr. Morrill 

 later recorded the fact in the Auk, 

 volume XIX, page 290, but the num- 

 ber is not at this moment at hand. 



On the afternoon of June 27, 1901, 

 while in my garden on the edge of a 

 low field — in Westbrook, Me. — the 

 song of this sparrow arrested my at- 

 tention. Toward evening I returned 

 and the song of the bird was heard 

 again and again. This song was well 

 known from experience in a region 

 where the Grasshopper Sparrow was 

 the common "Ground Sparrow." 

 Carefully I traced it to its source and 

 flushed the bird and followed it about 

 until dark. It was a persistent singer 

 indeed. It hardly perched as high as 

 the tops of the Ox-eyed Daisies with 

 which the field was spread as with 

 a mantle. It flushed close at hand 

 again and again, and only when too 

 dark to distinguish it I left the field. 



The next day it was still singing 

 whenever I was at home and again on 

 the following day, June 29, when I 

 was able to examine it with a pair of 

 Marine glasses at mid-day. Owing to 

 an accident it was not collected. 



Amtnodramus canduciitus (Gnel.). 



Sharptailed Sparrow. 



Known only to occur on the salt 

 marshes of Wells and Scarborough 

 where it breeds. Only a small colony 

 is known at Scarborough, while at 

 Wells its presence has been determin- 

 ed by the capture of a single specimen 

 in Juvenal plumage on July 24, 1897. 

 It is probable however that it will be 

 found at suitable localities between 

 these points. 



I have not found it in spring earlier 

 than June 5 (1897) nor later in fall 

 than Aug. 28, 1897, when it was moult- 

 ing and clearly in no condition to 

 migrate. Mr. W. H. Brownson ob- 

 served it at Scarborough on the 17th 

 of September (1902). (Brownson in 

 Epist., Sept. 29, 1902.) 



Ainvtodrainus iielsoni (Allen). Nel- 

 sons Sparrow. 



Since the first Maine specimens of 

 this bird came to light at Scarbough, 

 October 16, 1894, (Proc. Port. Soc. N. 

 H., II, p. 99), it has been found to be 



not uncommon as a migrant both in 

 spring and fall. Indeed it may be 

 found to be more numerous than the 

 available data warrants us to con- 

 clude. While the remarks apply only 

 to unquestionable specimens of A. 

 7ielsoiii, many birds intermediate with 

 this and A. nelsoni siiiniirga/iis OCCur 

 seeming to equal in numbers those of 

 typical sttbvirgatus: as these can 

 usually be best referred to that form 

 they will be treated there from sev- 

 eral localities. 



Comparatively little has been done 

 in observing the migration of this 

 group: during the spring of 1897, 

 however, frequent visits were made 

 to the Scarborough marshes which 

 were well explored at each visit. On 

 a visit made May 22 extensive search 

 revealed the presence of only two 

 Sharptails, which were together, and 

 both were taken. They were males, 

 one being referred to this form, the 

 other being intermediate with this 

 and the next, the balance however 

 being in favor of the next form. 



The next visit was on June 5 when 

 the same territory was found to con- 

 tain the present species and birds 

 somewhat intermediate, but referable 

 to the next. Among these, (which 

 were farther inland than the colony 

 of ./ Cauda cuius is located) was one 

 specimen of caudacutus. 



The presence of these birds in num- 

 bers where a couple of weeks later 

 none of the group could be found, 

 shows quite conclusively not only 

 that they were migrating, but that 

 they migrate late. This fact throws 

 light on the nature of the occurrence 

 of several Massachusetts and Connec- 

 ticut specimens taken in late May 

 and early June, (Dwight Auk, XIII, 

 p. 275), while those instances support 

 the indication that the migration is 

 regularly late. 



The sexes were about equally di- 

 vided in the specimens collected and 

 some of the males were singing; fur- 

 thermore the males were in full sex- 

 ual vigor, while the females were 

 only beginning to show signs of sex- 

 ual growth. The song differed in no 

 respect from that of caudacutus or sub- 

 virgalus. 



In fall I have taken unquestionable 

 specimens between the dates of Oc- 

 tober 9 and 16, inclusive, while inter- 

 mediates have been taken as late as 

 October 25. 



