IIENSLOW'S SPARROW. 29 



Song. The lay of the Yellow-winged Sparrow is given 

 when the birds are perched on some slight elevation, often a 

 small shrub only a few feet from the ground, or at best a fence 

 post, while the ruffled feathers, bowed head, and wide-spread 

 tail indicates that they are doing their utmost to bring forth 

 a melodious carol. In spite of ail these vigorous efforts, how- 

 ever, the sounds produced are so low that they are quite in- 

 audible a few rods distant, and more nearly resemble the 

 stridulations of a grasshopper than the song of a bird. On 

 account of this singular lay, the birds have recently been called 

 Grasshopper Sparrows. The birds sing constantly during 

 the breeding season, even sounding their uncouth song during 

 the heat of noontime. In addition to these notes, they give a 

 series of chattering, scolding sounds when anno^^ed. 



Menslow's Sparrow^. 



COTURNICULUS HENSLOWI. 



Plate VII, Fig. 1. 



Form slender. Tail feathers very sharply pointed. General 

 coloration greenish buff, streaked beneath. Head greenish 

 buff, with two lines on top of head, and some lines on the back, 

 line back of eye, and broken maxillary line, black. Back, dark 

 brown, with the feathers edged with chestnut, which in turn 

 are edged with whitish. Wings and tail brown, edged with 

 greenish. Beneath, buffy white, tinged across breast and sides 

 with greenish buff, and these parts are streaked with black. 

 Bend of wing yellowish. 



Nestlings are generally similar, but singularly, are without 

 streakings. 



