THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 241 



breast, gray; flanks, browu ; throat and middle of abdomen, dull white; wing- 

 coverts and tertials edged with chestnut. In winter the chestnut crown is more 

 or less obscured by black. 



Young in first autumn. — Similar, but crown mainly blackish, with a trace 

 of chestnut here and there ; sides of face, yellowish ; under parts tinged with 

 buff. 



Young in first summer. — Cinnamon brown above, streaked with dusky ; below, 

 buffy-white, narrowly streaked with black on throat, breast and sides. 



Nest of grass in a tussock ; eggs, four to five, pale bluish-green, thickly 

 blotched with brown, .75 x .55. 



Common summer resident in suitable localities. Resident in the 

 southern counties, especially Cape May. Migrants arrive March 29th, 

 depart November 1st. 



The Swamp Sparrow is an inhabitant of low swamps, especially 

 along the Delaware and near the coast. It is a shy bird, rather diffi- 

 cult to flush, and runs along dodging in and out under the tussocks of 

 grass like a mouse. 



Its song is a repetition of one note, "sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet," 

 with a sort of liquid quality like that of the Long-billed Marsh Wren, 

 with which it associates. 



In midwinter I have found these birds plentiful in the neighbor- 

 hood of Cape May, and they occur occasionally farther north at this 

 season. 



585 Passerella iliaca (Merrem). 

 Fox Sparrow. 



PLATE 56. 



Adults. — Length, 6.25-7.50. Wing, 3.50. Above, rusty, the gray bases of the 

 feathers showing through and producing a somewhat mottled appearance ; tail 

 and wing edgings, bright rusty ; two narrow white wing bars ; under parts, 

 white, heavily spotted on throat and breast with bright rusty triangular spots ; 

 sides and lower breast with small dark brown spots ; flanks with long streaks 

 of brown and rusty. 



Common transient visitant. Spring, March 1st (March 8th) to 

 April 10th; autumn, October 15th to December 1st. A few winter. 



This is the largest and rustiest of our Sparrows. While he is with 

 us he frequents the edges of swampy thickets, usually in flocks of vary- 

 ing sizes, scratching about among the leaves and flying to the trees or 

 bushes when disturbed. 



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