PASSERES — OSCINES — FRIXGILLIDJE. 



61 



ultory ; its song a singular chirruping, like the stridulation ot some in- 

 sect. It arrives April 25, and remains until the 25th of October. The 

 nest is sunken in the ground, and contains four or five pure white eggs 

 speckled with brawnish-red. [234] 



89. (124.) Coturniculus henslowi (And.) Bp. Henslow's Bunting. 



A summer resident, common in certain localities, but apparently not 

 generally distributed through the District. In the original edition we 

 marked this species as " exceedingly rare," but a single specimen hav- 

 ing up to that time been known to us to have been procured. Of late 

 years, however, it has been frequently found by Mr. Jouy, Mr. Eidgway, 

 and others, both in fields about Old Soldiers' Home and Eock Creek 

 Church, and across the river, in Virginia, in the vicinity of Falls Church. 

 The nest and eggs have been found by Mr. Jouy, who has published a 

 notice of them. (Bull. Nutt, Oruith. Club, vi, 1881, p. 57.) [236] 



90. ( — . ) Ammodramus caudacutus (TTils.) Sw. Sharp-tailed Finch. 



Not in the original edition ; rare and casual. Shortly after our list 

 was published, Mr. C. Drexler took a specimen of this species, which 

 is now in the United States National Museum, No. 25905, September, 

 1802. (See Eidgway, Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vii, 1882, p. 253.) [240] 



91. (133.) Melospiza palustris {Bartr.) lid. Swamp Sparrow. 



Chiefly a spring and autumn migrant, though a few probably winter 

 with the Song Sparrows in secluded places ; doubtless none breed with 



V^" 



^ 



Fig. 35. — Swamp Sparrow. 



us. It is one of the most retiring of all the sparrows, seldom coming 

 under the observation of any but the most diligent and practiced ob- 



