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GENUS AMMODRAMUS — SWAINSON. 



SHORE FINCH. 



[Bill rather long, a little shorter than the head, rather thick at the base, ta- 

 pering — upper mandible curving toward the tip, slightly notched, projecting 

 beyond the lower, and a little declinate ; nostrils partially covered ; head of 

 moderate size ; neck short ; body rather slender ; wings short, rounded; tail 

 of moderate length, of twelve narrow pointed feathers ; tarsi longer than the 

 middle toe — anterior toes rather long ; claws small — hind toe stout, claw very 

 long, acute] ( 



AMMODRAMUS MARITIMUS— WILSON. 

 GRAY SHORE FINCH. 



Sea side Finch, Fringiila maritima, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Fringiila maritima, Bonap. Syii. 

 Sea-Side Finch, Fringiila maritima, Nutt. Man. 

 Sea-side Finch, Fringiila maritima, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Upper parts brownish-gray, lower parts 

 lighter ; a band from the nostril over the eye, and the edge of the 

 fore part of the wing yellow ; tail graduated, the feathers pointed. 

 Adult with a narrow band of yellow from the nostril over the eye ; 

 upper parts brownish-gray, with two darker bands on the head ; 

 upper plumage tinged with olivaceous ; quills and tail feathers 

 dark brown, edged with greenish ; edges of the wings yellow ; 

 throat grayish- white, the sides streaked with dusky; a whitish band 

 from the base of the lower mandible down the sides of the neck ; 

 lower portion of fore neck, with the breast, and sides of the body, 

 light bluish-gray, streaked with dark brown and tinged with oliva- 

 ceous ; abdomen dull white. Length eight inches, wing two and 

 three-eighths. 



This species is familiar to all our sportsmen who practice bay- 

 shooting. During the summer months it is common on all the 

 necks of land along the sea coast, and abundant on the low 

 Islands in the Great South Bay of Long Island. It is seen climb- 

 ing up the rank sedge in search of insects and seeds, and it fre- 

 quents the shoals for the purpose of procuring small shrimps and 

 other marine food, whence its flesh derives an unpalatable flavor. 



