34 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Melospiza palustris, Baird. 



SWAMP SPARROW. 



Fringilla palustris, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 49, ijI. xxii, f. 1. — AuD. Om. Biog. I, 

 1831, 331 ; V, 508, pi. Ixiv. Fringilla {Spiza) palustris, Bonap. Obs. Wilson, 1825, 

 No. 105. Passerculus palustris, Bonap. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 481. 

 Ammodromus palustris, Aud. Syn. 1839. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 110, pi. clxxv. 

 Melospiza palustris, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 483. — Samuels, 323. ? Fringilla 

 georgiana. Lath. Index Orn. I, 1790, 460 (perhaps Peuccea aestivalis). — Light. Verz. 

 1823, No. 251. Fringilla {Am7nodromus) georgiana, Nutt. Man. I, (2d ed.,) 1840, 588. 



Sp. Char. Middle of the crown uniform chestnut; forehead black; superciliary streak, 

 sides of head and back, and sides of neck, ash. A brown stripe behind the eye. Back 

 with broad streaks of black, which are edged with rusty yellow. Beneath whitish, 

 tinged with ashy anteriorly, especially across the breast, and washed with yellowish- 

 brown on the sides. A few obsolete streaks across the breast, which become distinct on 

 its sides. Wings and tail strongly tinged with rufous ; the tertials black, the rufous 

 edgings changing abruptly to white towards the end. Length, 5.75 ; wing, 2.40. 



Female with the crown scarcely reddish streaked with black, and divided by a light 

 line. Young conspicuously streaked beneath the head, above nearly uniform blackish. 



Hab. Eastern North America from the Atlantic to the Missouri ; north to Fort Simp- 

 son. 



In autumn tlie male of this species has the feathers of the crown each 

 with a black streak ; and the centre of the crown with an indistinct light 

 stripe, materially changing its appearance. 



The forehead is usually more or less streaked with black. 



In the uncertainty whether the F ring ilia georgiana of Latham be not 

 rather the Pcucma cestivalis tlian the Swamp Sparrow, I think it best to 

 retain Wilson's name. It certainly applies as well to the latter, which has 

 the black sub-maxillary streak, and the chin and throat more mouse-colored 

 than in palustris. 



Habits. Owing to the residence of this species in localities not favoring 

 frequent visits or careful explorations, and still more to its shy and retiring 

 habits, our writers have not been generally well informed as to the history 

 and general manners of this peculiar and interesting Sparrow. Its irregular 

 distribution, its al)undance only in certain and unusually restricted locali- 

 ties, its entire absence from all tlie surrounding neighborhood, and its secre- 

 tiveness wherever found, have all combined to throw doubt and obscurity 

 over its movements. Unless purposely looked for and perseveringly hunted 

 up, the Swamp Sparrow might exist in large numbers in one's immediate 

 neighboi'hood and yet entirely escape notice. Even now its whole story 

 is but imperfectly known, and more careful investigation into its distribution 

 and general habits will doubtless clear up several obscure points in regard 

 to its movements. 



From what is now known, we gather that it occurs throughout the eastern 

 portions of North America, from the Southern States, in which it passes the 



