3l6 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



it a few times" (Smith). Woodbur}' — "uncommon summer resi- 

 dent" (Rich). 



Genus Centronyx Kaird. 



241. (545). Ccntrony.x bairdi (Audubon). Baird Sparrow. 



The Baird Sparrow is a common but locally distributed species 

 of the western plains, .sometimes occurring in Iowa during migra- 

 tion. W. W. Cooke states: " It was noted in migration at 

 Grinnell, Iowa, April 25. At Grinnell it occurs in fall as well as 

 spring" (Bird Migr. in Miss. Val., 1884-85. pp. 189-90). Carl 

 Kelsey reported it as a "tolerably common transient visitant" 

 and I^ynds Jones as a "rare transient visitant" in Poweshiek 

 county. Dr. I. S. Trostler gives the Baird Sparrow as a " com- 

 mon migrant in Pottawattamie county April 10 to May 10, never 

 recorded in fall." 



On June 14, 1899, I took a set of five slightly incubated eggs, 

 with female parent, in Nelson county, North Dakota. The nest 

 was placed in thick grass on high upland prairie. 



Genus' CoTURNicuLUS Bonaparte. 



Subgenus Coturniculus Bonaparte. 



242. (546). Cotiirniculus savannannn passcriuKs iy^IWs.) Grass- 



hopper Sparrow. 



The Gra.sshopper Sparrow is a tolerably common summer resi- 

 dent in most parts of the state from the latter part of x^pril until 

 October. Its favorite resorts are upland prairie and old weed- 

 grown stubble-fields or "summer fallow" land. It has a pecu- 

 liar insect-like note, like the stridulation of a grasshopper, and is 

 often quite plentiful although rarely .seen. Charles R. Keyes 

 states that in L,inn count}^ they begin nesting in the rniddle of 

 May and keep it up through July. The nests are well concealed 

 in the grass and are often roofed over; eggs three to six. 



243. (546a). Coliirniadus savannariirn bimaculatus (Swains.). 



Western Grasshopper Sparrow. 



This pale-colored, grayer western variety of the Grasshopper 

 Sparrow is found quite commonly in western and northwestern 

 Iowa. The varieties are hard to distinguish except by compari- 

 son of both forms, and as their ranges overlap, it is questionable 



