248 



Birds of 2v^orth Cakolina 



While not unlikely a pcrnuincnt resident in the southeastern section, it is only 

 a summer visitor in the otiicr pdrtions of the State, arri\dng from the south in 

 late March or April. The latest records in the autumn are September 20 at 

 Kaleifih, and November 1 at Weaverville. 



This is a shy, secretive bird with a loud, ringing song, and is usually found in 

 old, ]iartly grown-up fields or in jjastures. The nest is liuilt of grass, on the ground, 

 and is domed over, the eutranc(> l)eing on one side. The eggs are pure white, 

 unmarked. 



Genus Melospiza fBaird) 



A genus of small sparrows witl 



ided tails and short mngs. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



1. Broa.st not streaked. Swamp Sparrow. 



1. Breast streaked. See 2. 



2. Cirouiid color of iiiidcrparts white. Song Sparrow. 

 2. Broad band acro.ss cliest, butf. Lincoln'. s Sparrow. 



242. Melospiza melodia melodia (Wih.). Song Sparrow. 



Dencriplion: Ads. — ^Crown nifoiis-l)ro\vn, witli a grayish Hnc throuRh its center; a grayish 

 Uncover the eye; a rufous-brown line from lichiiid the eye to I lie nape; feat hers of the Ixick streaked 

 with lil.ick and tnargined with rufous-l)rown and grayisli; greater wing-coverts with l)lack spots 

 at tlieir tips; no white wing-liars or yellow on the wing; tail rufous grayish brown, the middle 

 feathers darker along their shafts; outer feathers shortest ; sides of the throat with lilack or blackish 

 streaks; breast with wedge-shaped streaks of black and rufous-brown which tend to form one 

 larger blotch on the center; sides washed with brownish and streaked with black and rufous- 

 brown; middle of the belly white. 1>., (i.:i(); \V..2..")2;T., 2.r)2; 1$., .41). (Chxip., BirdsoJ E. N . A.) 



lidiujc. -lOastern United States, breeding mainly north of \orth Carolina. 



liantje in North Carolina. — Whole State in winter; in .summer breeding throughout the moun- 

 tains and to some extent on the coast. 



Fio. 1U7. Soso Sr.ARKOw. 



The Song Sparrow is apparently only a winter visitor in central and most of 

 the eastern ])ortions of North Carolina, arriving from the north about the middle 

 of October :uid leaving early in April. 



Altliough Cairns never detected it breeding during his observations in Buncombe 

 County, and Brewster failed to find it in Macon, Jackson, Haywood, and Bun- 

 combe counties in 188.T, yet at the jiresent time it seems to breed in many jwrts 

 of the mouiittiin region. The localities from which we have summer records are 

 Ilighhuids and A(|Uone in Macon County, Blantyre in Transylvania Coimty, and 

 Ileinlersonville in Henderson County, at all of which places it has been observed 



