THE LARK SPARROW. 63 
breeding in Manitobia. It is a skulker of the deeper swamps, and as such is 
consistently opposed to any course of action calculated to bring it before the 
public eye. 
With reference to the single occurrence in Ohio, Mr. Sim says: “My 
specimen of the Nelson Sparrow was taken near the mouth of Cowles Creek, 
Geneva, Ohio. The bird was first seen at 7 P. M. (May 17,1902) skulking 
among the weeds of a barren tree-fringed knoll several acres in extent. It 
finally ascended to the lower branches of a stunted thorn-tree overhanging the 
beach of the lake. It regard to the color and markings this was the most ex- 
quisite little Sparrow that I have seen. ‘The upper parts were striped as evenly 
as the back of a chipmunk and the stripes of the head were beautiful in their 
contrast and arrangement. But the large feet, small wings, and short tail 
gave the bird an odd look—almost railish.” 
No. 30. 
LARK SPARROW. 
A. O. U. No. 552. Chondestes grammacus (Say). 
Synonym.—QuAIL-HEAD. 
Description.—Adult: Head variegated black, white, and chestnut; lateral 
head-stripes black in front, chestnut behind; auriculars chestnut, bounded by rictal 
and post-orbital black stripes; narrow loral, and broader submalar black stripes; 
malar, superciliary, and median stripes white, the two latter becoming buffv 
behind; upper parts buffish gray-brown, clearest on sides of neck, streaked by 
blackish brown centers of feathers on middle back and scapulars, persisting as 
edging on the fuscous wings and tail; tail-feathers, except middle pair, broadly 
tipped with white; below white, purest on throat and belly, washed with grayish 
buff on sides and crissum, also obscurely across fore-breast, in which is situated 
a central black spot. Length 6.25 (158.8); wing 3.39 (86.1); tail 2.62 (66.6) ; 
bill .46 (11.7 
Recognition Marks.—Sparrow size; head variegated black, white, and chest- 
nut; fan-shaped tail broadly tipped with white and conspicuous in flight (thus 
easily distinguished from the Vesper Sparrow with square tail and lateral white 
feathers). 
Nest, of grasses, lined with finer grass, rootlets and occasionally horse-hair, 
on the ground or, rarely, in low bushes or trees. Eggs, 3-5, white, pinkish or 
bluish white, spotted and scrawled in zigzags and scrolls with dark browns or 
purplish blacks, chiefly at the larger end. Av. size, .82 x .65 (20.8 x 16.5). 
General Range.—Southern Ontario, and Mississippi Valley region, from 
Ohio, Illinois and Michigan to the Plains, south to southern Texas and north- 
western Alabama. Accidental near Atlantic Coast. 
Range in Ohio.—Not common summer resident in central and southern, 
rare in northern Ohio. Of local distribution, but probably on the increase. 
