APPENDIX 701 



AMMODItOriUG liAKITIMUS. 



Gray Ehoi-o Pinch. 



Ammotlronnis marilimus Sw , Z ml. Jour., Ill, 1827, 328. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cn. Fcirni, rather robust. Size, medium. Tongu3, long, thin, and horny, provided with a tenninal tuft of hair- 

 like libel's. Sternum, rather stout, with the Iccel a little higher than that of the preceding species and with the coracoids 

 pomcwliat -shorter. 



Color. Adult. Above, greenisli-gray, broadly streaked with dusky. Wings and tail, dark-l)rown, witli the outer 

 vrcbs edged with reddish-brown. Beneath, ashs'-white, purest on the throat but very much darker on the sides and fian'.is. 

 Sides cf liead and streakings below, dusky. There is a decided maxillary line of dusky below one of white, and a sliglitly 

 Aefnod median line of ashy extends from the bill to the occiput. Line from base of upper mandilile to point over the eye, 

 rnd edge of wing, yellow, and there is a greenish suffusion back of the eye. Bill, black, bluish at base of lower mandible. 

 Feet, brown. 



Yonni/. Similar, but browner above, with the median line better defined. The greenish gloss back of the eye is not 

 very jierceptilile, and there are tracas of yellowlsh-ruf )us across the breast. 



Yvung of the year. Are very brown above, where the dark streakings are nearly obscured. They are also very much 

 whiter behiw, where there are but few streakings. The median ashy line is considerably broader and much more clearly 

 defined. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is a general unifonnity of coloration in specimens of the same age. The streakings below are never well defined, 

 but occasionally encroach ujxm the throat which is usually immaculate. Readily dLstinguLshed from mclanolcucus by the 

 unif >rm grayish tint throughout which is so conspicuous, even in the young, that this species need not be confounded with 

 any other. A constant resident along the coast from the Carolinas to Middle Florida and on the Northern portion of the 

 Ciulf of Mexico. Found as far north as Connecticut in summer but does not occur in the interior. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measui-oments of twenty specimeas. Length, 5'50; stretch, 8'25; wing, 2-50; tail, 2' 10; bill, '60; tarsus, -80. 

 L'mgost specimen, 5"75; greatest extent of wing, 8'40; longest wing, 2-60; taU, 2'25; bill, '65; tarsus, '95. Shortest speci- 

 men. 5-2o-. .smallest extent of wing, 8-15; shortest wing, 2'40; tail, 2'00; bill, -55; tarsus, '75. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on tlie ground, or near it. They are either gourd-shaped, with a contracted entrance on top, partly cov- 

 ered, having the entrance on the side, or open. They are composed of coarse gra,ss lined with finer and occasionally with 

 rootlets. Dimensi in^; external diameter, 4'00, internal, 2'50. External depth, 4-75, internal, r75. 



E;;as, four, live, or even sis in number, rather elliptical in form, dull-white in color, spotted and dotted quite finely with 

 reddish-brown and sejHa. Dimensions from '80 x '58 to '82 s '62. 



HABITS. 



The coast of South Carolina and Georgia is peculiar being made up of various islands. 

 These are separated by deep sounds which form the mouths of the numerous rivers that 

 flow through this section of the country. The islands are not much elevated but are above 

 high water mark, while the land back of them is very low being, in fact, overflowed by the 

 tile. These .salt marshes are quite wide extending for some hundreds of miles along the 

 sh:)ro, and arc intersected by numerous creeks some of which are very deep. As those 

 that empty int,> one sound connect with those that have outlets in sounds on either hand, 

 there is a continuous chain of canals which admit the passage of vessels of considerable 

 size. In my last trip south on the yacht Nina I availed myself of this circumstance, and 

 after leavin v Bull Bay in South Carolina, kept inside as far as Jacksonville, Florida. As 

 we wore frequently obliged to remain in one spot for some time, I had a fine opportunity 

 of observing the birds which inhabited the vast marshes through we were sailing, and the 

 Gray Shore Finches were among those which claimed my constant attention. 



