56 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



grown valleys, and wild weed patches 

 near water, as well as the swamps, 

 and ever at this season strays to drier 

 situations. 



Its chirp of alarm has a rich metallic 

 quality much like that of Zonoirichia 

 albicollis. While its song bears a gen- 

 eral resemblance to that of Spizella 

 socialis it is considerably stronger and 

 rather more musical. 



Passer, ■/la illuua (Merr.). Fox Spar- 

 row. 



A migrant, of general distribution, 

 being common both fall and spring. 

 In spring it is extremely abundant 

 coastwise, certainly as far east as the 

 west side of Penobscot Bay. At this 

 season it is in full song as it passes 

 through Maine, and its rich tones 

 challenge admiration whenever heard. 



Like all of its relatives it is an in- 

 dustrious destroyer of seeds and in- 

 sects. It obtains its food by scratch- 

 ing among leaves supplementing the 

 work of the species which feed upon 

 the stems by bringing to "The grind- 

 ing" much that would otherwise be 

 sown. 



Pipi/o erytropthalmtis (Linn.). Towhee, 

 Chewink. 



This the most strictly Alleghanian 

 finch of Maine is of regular though 

 uneven distribution in the southwest- 

 ern part of the state. Its distribution 

 corresponds somewhat closely with 

 that of the Scrub-Oak Quercus nana, 

 not being general in either York, 

 Oxford, Cumberland, or Sagadahoc 

 counties, though in these the birds 

 are in more numbers than elsewhere, 

 and it would seem in some spots even 

 rather common. Near Portland a few 

 small colonies exist during the breed- 

 ing season. 



During the migrations they often 

 appear in unusual places but even 

 then they are not general even in 

 southwestern Maine. 



Cardinalis Cardinalis (Linn.) Cardi- 

 nal. 



Of accidental occurrence. While 

 Mr. Smith indicates that Cardinals 

 have been taken in a few instances, 

 he cites no particular ones. 



Mr. Knight records the capture of a 

 female at Gardiner, Me., Dec. 19, 

 1895, by Homer R. Dill. The bird is 

 now in Mr. Knight's collection. 

 (Maine Sptsm., Nov. 1898, Vol. 6, No. 

 63, p. 20). The report in his "Birds 

 of Maine" was based upon incorrect 

 information. 



ZameloJia hidoviciana (Linn.). Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak. 



Not uncommon in the interior south 

 of the Appalachian highlands, and in 

 the upper St. John valley, as a sum- 

 mer resident, but it seems to be rare 

 southeasterly. Coastwise it is rare 

 and seems to occur only as a migrant. 

 There seems to be no present inform- 

 ation of its occurrence (or in fact of 

 the contrary) upon these highlands. 



It appeared to be in some degree 

 irregular in its choice of a summer 

 home. 



Cyauospiza''' cyanea (Linn.). Indigo 

 Bird. 



Common in southwestern Maine as 

 a summer resident and breeding 

 species. While reported in such 

 distant parts of the state as the St. 

 Croix valley, ( Boardman in Knights 

 Bds. of Me., p. 103) and at Caribou 

 ( Allen. Journ. Me. Orn. Soc. Ill, pp. 

 11, 12. ) it seems to be rare or absent 

 in considerable areas of the state. It 

 is of general distribution in York and 

 Cumberland counties except the 

 islands of the latter. 



In passing from Portland to Upton 

 it has been found general by the 

 roadside throughout theSebago valley, 

 and in the Androscoggin valley as far 

 as Newry where it has dissapeared. 

 Along the coast, easterly the bird has 

 not been found with any degree of 

 abundance or regularity. 



It has been reported rare at St. 

 George by Mr. Fred Rackliff (Knights 

 Bds. of Me., p. 103). A bird seen at 

 Isle Au Haut late in June, 1903, by 

 James T. Conley must have been a 

 male of this strangely marked species. 

 In the maratime towns of Washington 

 county from Jonesport easterly I 

 have not seen it. 



Present data indicates that its 

 distribution coincides rather closely 

 with that of the last species, though 

 its center of abundance is in the 

 southwestern part of the state, differ- 

 ing in this particular from that 

 species. 



Spiza americana (Gmcl.). Black- 

 throated Bunting, Dickcissel. 

 Only three examples known. 



*Cynanosf>iza r/ri's. (Linn.). Painted Bunting. 

 An adult male of this species, which had clearly es- 

 capej from captivity was found dead in the yard of 

 Miss C. S. Eastman, in Portland, June to, 1904. It 

 was taken to Mr. W. H. Brownson, by whose kind- 

 ness it came into my hands and has been preserved. 



