Birds of Indiana. 969 



226. (583). Melospiza lincolnii (Aitd.). 



Iiincoln's Sparrow. 

 Synonym, Lincoln's Finch. 



Maxillary stripe, breast, sides and crissum, buff; other lower parts, 

 whitish; breast and sides, with narrow black streaks; black stripe on 

 each side of throat and one above maxillary stripe. Crown, chestnut, 

 each feather with a black streak, divided by middle stripe of ashy; 

 stripe over eye, ashy; rest of upper parts, brownish-gray, streaked with 

 black and grayish; tail, grayish-brown, feathers darker along the 

 shafts; wings edged with light rufous and whitish. 



Length, 5.25-6.00; wing, 2.30-2.50; tail, 2.40-2.70. 



Remark. — The buff breast easily determines this Sparrow. 



Eange. — North America, from Guatemala to Labrador and Alaska. 

 Rare east of the Alleghanies. Breeds from northern Illinois and 

 northern New York north; also south, along the higher Eocky Moun- 

 tains almost to Mexico. Winters from southern Illinois south. 



Nest, of grass; on or near ground. Eggs, 3 to 5; pale greenish, 

 spotted and blotched with several shades of reddish-brown, more 

 prominent at the larger end; .78 by .58. 



In Indiana this Sparrow is a regular but rare migrant over most 

 of the State. It is generally found in May and October, and passes 

 farther north to breed. In the lower Wabash Valley it is more numer- 

 ous. The spring of 1881 Mr. Robert Ridgway found them very 

 abundant in Knox County. In 1888 they arrived at Terre Haute, 

 April 17, and departed May 5. At Brookville, in 1886, it was first 

 noted April 24; in 1880, May 11; in Starke County, May 11, 1884, 

 May 11, 1890; Lake County, May 16, 1880. It has also been taken in 

 Carroll and Monroe counties. Mr. E. W. Nelson says they occur in 

 Cook County, 111., and vicinity between May 8 and 20 and September 

 20 and October 5. Dr. Gibbs reports it from Michigan (Kalamazoo?) 

 October 9, 1879 (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 116). It was taken at 

 Brookville, Ind., October 2, 1879. When found in May, often two or 

 three are together. Possibly they are then paired. Mr. J. G. Parker, 

 Jr., collected a young male of this species on the east shore of Calumet 

 Lake, Cook Coimty, 111., July 16, 1896. It has been found nesting in 

 Hamilton County, N. Y., and at Racine, Wis., and may do so about the 

 lower end of Lake Michigan. 



In many respects its habits resemble those of the Swamp Sparrow. 

 Generally it is found throughout the migrations in similar places; 

 among bushes, drift and reeds about watercourses and bodies of water. 



