THE HENSLOW SPARROW. Bt 
DR. WHEATON admits this Sparrow to a place on the Ohio List upon 
the sole ground of a statement by Audubon, that it was accidental in Ohio. 
This statement, so far as | am aware, has received positive confirmation only 
once, but the bird is known to breed regularly in northern Indiana, and eggs 
have been taken in southern Michigan. 
On the evening of June 4th, 1894, near Oberlin, while returning in a 
buggy with my friend,Lynds Jones, from a collecting trip along the Lake Erie 
shore, we heard a strange bird-note in a neighboring wheat-field. It was the 
same season in which the Grasshopper Sparrow first made its appearance at 
Oberlin and we were prepared for novelties. Mr. Jones, who was familiar 
with this species in Lowa, had previously described the note to me so perfectly 
that we both exclaimed “Henslow’s!” and sprang from the buggy. The ven- 
triloquial voice with its lisping notes, “‘7tse-tse-tsip” led us a merry chase in the 
gathering dusk, and our devious wanderings through the growing grain 
brought out a vigorous protest from the owner of the field. But we muttered 
something about “state record” just as Jones pressed the trigger, and the 
farmer nobly forgave us in the name of Science. Fumbling in the dark for the 
little body which, unfortunately, meant more to us dead than alive—Science 
is so skeptical—we hurried home with the treasure. Mr. Jones saw other 
birds in the vicinity of Oberlin later that season, and they undoubtedly bred 
there, but no other occurrences have been reported in the state. 
The Henslow Sparrow is a shy recluse of old fields and lowland meadows. 
It is a persistent ‘songster’, but shuns doubtful applause and scurries through 
the grass like a wood mouse, when alarmed. When it thinks it is being pur- 
sued it is apt to thrust its head under leaves or grass and pause motionless in 
fancied security, leaving the unhidden portion to shift for itself. 
