NESTS AND EGGS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 49 



large marshes in the interior. The bird keeps closely in the shelter of 

 reeds and rank salt herbage; placing the nest in a tuft of grass, just out 

 of the way of the water. The nest is large for the bird, loosely made of 

 slender grasses and lined with similar material, but finer, 



Hab. Atlantic Coast of United States. 



202. Sea-side Finch — ammodromus maritimus. Grayish-white, spotted 

 and blotched with reddish-brown, the blotches are distributed over the 

 entire eg^ ; four to six. Both the nest and eggs are hardly distinguish- 

 able from those of the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. It has, also, very nearly 

 the same distribution. 



Hab. Atlantic sea-coast of United States, northward to Long Island Sound. 



204. Lark Finch — chondestes grammica. Grayish or soiled-white, 

 spotted with very dark brown, marked with zig-zag, straight and wavy 

 lines of blackish, as in the eggs of some of the orioles ; four or five in 

 number with an average measurement of .85 by 65. The nest is placed 

 in trees, bushes, and on the ground. It is composed of grass, fine black 

 rootlets, and lined with finer grasses. Mr. J. A. Singley, of Giddings, 

 Lee Co., Texas, writes me that this bird often repairs old nests of the 

 Mocking-bird and Orchard Oriole with a lining of grass and horse-hair. 



Breeds throughout its range. Hab. Ohio to the Pacific; Oregon to Te.xas. 



204rt. Western Lark Finch — chondestes grammica strigata. Same 

 as the preceding species. Mr. Evermann found this bird a common winter 

 resident of Ventura Co., Cal., but says most of them go farther north to 

 breed. He found them nesting on the ground, in live oaks, sycamores, 

 orange and lemon trees. Hab. western United states. 



206. White -crowned Sparrow — zonotrichia leucophrys. Pale 

 bluish-green, thickly spotted, especially about the larger end, with reddish- 

 brown and lighter markings of an obscure purplish-brown ; four or five, 

 average size .89 by .65, resemble those of the Song Sparrow's except in 

 size. This, the most beautiful of all our sparrows, breeds in Labrador 

 and northward. It is chiefly a ground builder but nests are sometimes found 

 in bushes a few feet from the ground. It is usually large and bulky like a 

 Robin's. It is compactly built of dry grasses, fine rootlets, and lined with 



horse hair and fine grasses Hab. North America to the Arctic region. 



207. Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow — zonotrichia gambeli. Blu- 

 ish-green, thickly spotted with reddish-brown with lighter markings of 

 purplish-brown. In some, confluent about the larger end; four or five 

 and some times six; size .89 by .65. Nests similar to those of Iciicopluys, 



