Species XYI. FRINGILLA FASSERINA. 



YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW. 



[Plate XXIV. Fig. 6.] 



This small species is now for the first time introduced to the notice 

 of the public. I can, however, say little towards illustrating its history, 

 which, like that of many individuals of the human race, would be but a 

 dull detail of humble obscurity. It inhabits the lower parts of New 

 York and Pennsylvania ; is very numerous on Staten Island, where I 

 first observed it ; and occurs also along the sea coast of New Jersey. 

 But though it breeds in each of these places, it does not remain in any 

 of them during the winter. It has a short, weak, interrupted chirrup, 

 which it occasionally utters from the fences and tops of low bushes. Its 

 nest is fixed on the ground, among the grass ; is formed of loose dry 

 grass, and lined with hair and fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are 

 five, of a grayish white sprinkled with brown. On the first of August 

 I found the female sitting. 



I cannot say what extent of range this species has, having never met 

 with it in the Southern States ; though I have no doubt that it winters 

 there with many others of its tribe. It is the scarcest of all our summer 

 Sparrows. Its food consists principally of grass seeds, and the larvae 

 of insects, which it is almost continually in search of among the loose 

 soil and on the surface, consequently it is more useful to the farmer than 

 otherwise. 



The length of this species is five inches, extent eight inches ; upper 

 part of the head blackish, divided by a slight line of white ; hind head 

 and neck above marked with short lateral touches of black and white ; 

 a line of yellow extends from above the eye to the nostril ; cheeks plain 

 brownish white ; back streaked with black, brown, and pale ash ; 

 shoulders of the wings above and below, and lesser coverts olive yellow ; 

 greater wing coverts black, edged with pale ash ; primaries light drab ; 

 tail the same, the feathers rather pointed at the ends, the outer ones 

 white ; breast plain yellowish white, or pale ochre, which distinguishes 

 it from the Savannah Sparrow (Plate XXII., fig. 3) ; belly and vent 

 white ; three or four slight touches of dusky at the sides of the breast ; 

 legs flesh color ; bill dusky above, pale bluish white below. The male 

 and female are nearly alike in color. 



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