Along the Highway. 



85 



The Grass Finch is a stout rather heavy bird about six inches and an 

 eighth long, of a general grayish brown color above, showing when he flies 

 an Qittcr white feather on cither side of the tail. 

 Vesper Sparrow. T\\^ upper parts are brown, with a decided gray tone, 



Poocates gramineus (Gmel.). , 1 1 • 1 i 1 1 1 11 • 1 1 rr 



and are streaked with black and yellowish bun. 

 The wings are dusky. There are two white bars on each wing and the 

 shoulders are bright reddish brown. The outer feather on each side of the 

 tail is pure white on most of its surface, and there is more or less white on 

 the next feather. The rest of the tail feathers are dusky or blackish, showing 

 grayish brown on their exposed edges. The lower parts are white, streaked 

 with dusky brown or blackish on the sides of the throat, and on the breast, 

 sides, and flanks. 



VESPER SPARROW. 



In fall the birds are darker above, the white wing bars are more or less 

 buffy, the reddish brown of the shoulders is not so bright, and the sides and 

 flanks are washed with pale reddish brown. 



The birds build on the ground. The nest is made of coarse grasses and 

 lined with finer grass and hair. Four or five eggs are laid. They vary in 

 ground color from white to pale pinkish brown, and are evenly spotted and 

 specked with reddish or dark brown. They are about four fifths of an inch 

 long, by three fifths of an inch broad. 



The Grass Finch frequents dry upland fields. You are almost sure to 

 see him running along ahead of you in the well worn paths on the grassy 



