FRINGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 51 



Habits. The Fox-colored Sparrow, in its seasons of migrations, is a very 

 common bird througliout the United States east of the Mississippi Kiver. 

 It has not been ascertained to breed in any part of the United States, though 

 it may do so in Northeastern Maine. Mr. Boardman has not met with it 

 near Calais, nor did I see nor could I hear of it in any part of Nova Scotia 

 or New Brunswick that I visited. In passing north, these birds begin their 

 northern movements in the middle of March, and from that time to the last 

 of April they are gradually approaching their summer quarters. Their first 

 appearance near Boston is about the 15th of March, and they linger in that 

 vicinity, or successive parties appear, until about the 20th of April. The last 

 comers are usually in song. On their return, the middle or last of October, 

 they pass rapidly, and usually make no stay. In Southwestern Texas these 

 birds were not observed by Mr. Dresser, nor in Arizona by Dr. Coues, but in 

 the Indian Territory Dr. Woodhouse found them very abundant on the 

 approach of winter. Dr. Coues speaks of them as common in South Caro- 

 lina from November to April, but less numerous than most of the Sparrows. 



In the vicinity of Washington this bird is found from October to April. 

 I have met with small groups of them through all the winter months among 

 the fallen leaves in retired corners of the Capitol grounds, where they were 

 busily engaged, in the manner of a Pipilo, in scratching in the earth for 

 their food. At those periods when the ground was open, their habits were 

 eminently similar to those of the gallinaceous birds. In March and April 

 they were in company with the White-throated Sparrows, but passed north 

 at least a month earlier. 



becoming bright rufous on the rump and exposed portion of the tail, but a shade darker than in 

 P. iliaca ; head uniform brown, with a slight tinge of ash ; feathers of the back centred with a 

 streak of darker brown. Wings nearly the same color as the back, with no white bands ; outer 

 webs of the quills rufous, inner webs dark brown ; secondary coverts rufous, with dark brown 

 centres ; primary coverts uniform brown. Beneath dull white, with the throat and breast thickly 

 covered with elongated triangular spots and streaks of dark reddish-brown ; sides streaked with 

 rufous-brown ; middle of abdomen with a few small triangular spots of dark brown ; under tail- 

 coverts brownish -white, with a few small spots of bright rufous ; tibia? dark brown. The auricu- 

 lars are tinged with reddish-brown. Bristles at the base of the bill are numerous, extending 

 over the nostrils. Tail rather long, broad, and nearly even. Third quill longest ; second and 

 fourth equal, and but slightly shorter ; first intermediate between the fifth and sixth, and one 

 fourth of an inch shorter than the third. 



"Length, 6.75 ; extent of wings, 10.7.5 ; wing, 3.35 ; tarsus, 1 inch. 



" This species differs greatly in color from P. iliaca. It is darker in all parts ; the feathers of 

 the back are rufous-brown, centred with darker, instead of ash centred with brownish-red ; the 

 two white bands on the wing are wanting ; the breast and throat are thickly streaked with 

 elongated spots of dark reddish-brown, while in P. iliaca the spots are less numerous, shorter 

 and broader, and bright rufous, anJ +he central part of the throat is nearly free from spots ; the 

 under tail-coverts are brownish-white, with rufous spots, instead of nearly pure white." 



There are some features in this bird, as described by Mr. Verrill, which seem to characterize it 

 as different from P. iliaca, although it is barely possible that it is this bird in immature dress. 

 The streaked back at once sejjarates it from all our species excepting iliaca. Nothing is said of 

 its habits. One specimen was killed in Anticosti, July 1 ; the other, August 8. The true iliaca 

 was found on the island, which fact renders it still more probable that this is its young. 



