484 PASSEIiCULUS SA\'AN^fA'. 



The nests arc ijlaced ou the ground, usually in some open spot and frequently by the 

 v/iiy-side. The eggs are laid by the first week in June, but a second Utter is deposited 

 later. The singularly marked young in their first plumage, accompany their parents in 

 August, but these small communities assemble in flocks by the first of September, then 

 commence their southward migration. Even as late in the season as that the males cannot 

 resist the temptation of singing, and on very fine autumnal days one or two of the sweet 

 notes of their summer performance can occasionally be heard, but the complete song is nev- 

 er given at that time. 



GENUS VIT. TASSERCULUS. THE GRASS SPARROWS. 



Gen. Cn. Bill, rather jjointcd. Winr/.f, hnr/cr than the tail which is xlicjhthj forked, hit with the outer feathers short- 

 ened. Tertiarics, lomier than secondaries. Sternum, narrower than that of Zonotracliia, but with the keel a little hi(jhcr, 

 and the coracoids shorter, proportionately. Size, medium. 



There is u?ualy a yellow superoilinry lin:-. All the spooies arc s-ti-eakcil abdvc and below. No prominent white mark- 

 -ug^ on the toil. 



PA3ci:r.cui.U3 gavaitna. 



Savannah Eparrow. 

 Pars.scrc7ilus savanna Eon., Li.«t, 1838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Oil. Form, rather slender. Sixe, niodium. Tongue, horny, )n-ovided with the terminal, hair-like fdiers. Ster- 

 num as o-iven under senoric charactei-s. 



Color. Adult in summer. Upper portion of body, including wings and tail, dark-brown, with the edges of all tlie 

 feathers, excepiing anterior crown, whitish or iialo-rufous. Tliere are indications of whitish wing bars. A median line of 

 yellowish-white extends fi-oa bill to occiput, where it is mixed with dark-brown. Su])crciliary line and ring around eye, 

 yellow. Lores and car coverts, dusky, with the featl^ers back of the latter whitish, mixed with dark-brown. Under por- 

 tions, including under wing coverts, white, streaked with dark-brown on all jiortions, excepting abdomen and uu'ler tail 

 coverts. Edge of wing, white. Bill, brown, lower mandible, lighter. Feet, pale-brown. 



Adult in icinter. Diffci's from the above in l^eing ovcrwashed \\T.ih yellowish-rufous below and on the sides of the head. 

 The yellow superciliary line is not as extended. 



Yoimij. The yellow over the eye is much restricted. The dark-brown above is lighter and the strcakings below arc 

 edged with ruf lus. The car coverts arc also overwaslied with rufous. 



Youncj of the year. Show but little of the yellow line. There is strong ovcrwashing of rufous aliove and below. The 

 occiput is frequently tinged with yellow. 



Ncstlinys. Are more Cnely streaked below where there is a strong tinge of yellowish. There is no indication what- 

 ever of the yellow superciliary line. Sexes similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Specimens vary considerably in shade of color, and also in size. Sometimes the markings above are very jialc, and 

 t'lere are comparatively few streaks below, but others will be extremely dark above .and more heavily streaked below, 

 when there Ls often a central spot on the breast. The throat is sometimes white, then the strcakings unite and form max- 

 illary lines. 



Distinguished from princcps by the smaller size and darker color; from rostratus by the smaller bill. Known from other 

 SjiaiTows by the yellow superciliary line, combined with the white edge of tlic wing and strcakings below. Distributed, 

 in summer, throughout the CVmtinent, from the latitude of Pennsylvania to the far North. Wintci-s from the latitude of 

 Washington, south to Florida and Mexico. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of forty specimens from Florida and New England. Length, 5-75; stretch, 9-45; wing, 2-7.'); tail, 

 COO; bill, -45; tarsus, -83. Longest specimen, C-27; greatest extent of wing, 9-CO; longest wing, 3-00; tail, 2-25; bill, -49; 

 tarsus, -87. Shortest specunen, .""j-SS; smallest extent of wing, 7-95; shortest wing,, 2-50; tail^-Sl; bill, -45; tai-sus, -7(1. 



