SHARP -TAILED SPARROW. 23 



Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground in salt 

 marshes. They are composed of grass, somewhat loosely 

 arranged and are lined with fine grasses. They are usually 

 placed in concealment under the dried, overhanging grass of 

 the previous year, and the birds frequently gain access to 

 them through tunnels, two or three feet in length. Eggs, 

 four or five in number, rather elliptical in form, pale blue in 

 color, marked profusely over the entire surface with fine dots 

 and spots of reddish brown. Dimensions, .76 by .oG. 



General liABiTS. The Sharp-tailed Sparrows occur on 

 many of our salt marshes in spring and fall as far north at 

 least as Rye Beach, New Hampshire, finding shelter among 

 the tall sedges which border the creeks, but in summer they 

 gather in the more boggy portions that are covered with a 

 short, wiry grass, which as it grows very thickly, accumulates 

 3^ear after year, until a perfect mat is formed in which the 

 birds place their nests. 



The eggs are laid from the first week in June until the 

 middle of July, each individual female probably depositing 

 two sets, and the young may be found with their parents in 

 August, at which time all may be seen running about on 

 the mud of the creeks in search of small moUusks, or other 

 aquatic animals left by the falling tide, but when the creeks 

 are full, they may be seen perched on the tops of the tall 

 sedges. 



All of the Fringilline birds are more or less agile, but none 

 of them move more quickly on the ground than members of 

 this genus. The Sharp tailed Sparrows are particularly 

 noticable in this respect, as they are perfect acrobats among 

 birds when among the sedge, now clinging to a slender sway- 



