'"i.^lH)"''] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. G05 



siiniiiRT resident, luid breeds here (Calcuttj. Qu'Appelle : Cominou 

 summer resident; breeds; arrives Ajiril 1 to 5 (Guernsey). 

 • July 2-J, 1884, Portage la Prairie: Fouud the nest of a Song Sparrow 

 with four eggs. The bird, which I shot, seemed a very small specimeu. 

 The nest was, as usual, close by a running stream. Three of tlie eggs 

 were hardset; oue was fresh ; the ground color of the three was pale 

 greenish, of the last a delicate cream-color; after being blowu the 

 creamy became of the same color as the others ; oue measured 1% by ^f ; 

 it was heavily spotted as usual; the rest were similar. 



This habit of sitting before the clutch is all laid seems common in 

 the Northwest. No doubt the uecessity for saving the eggs from frost 

 induces immediate sitting, so that the young inevitably often appear 

 of ditierent ages. (Cf. Kingbird, Vesper Bird, Eobiu, as well as Hawks 

 and Owls.) 



202. Melospiza liucoliii. Liucolu's Spiirrow. 



Migrant in large numbers at the boundary on Mouse River, Septem- 

 ber 1(1, October 5 (Coues). Carberry : Kare spring and winter migrant 

 (Thompson). 



203. Melospiza geoigiaiia. Swamp Sparrow. 



Common summer resident ; nesting in swamps that have some wil- 

 lows about them, Winnipeg: Summer resident; abundant (Hine). 

 Oak Point: 1881, arrived April lil (Small). Portage la Prairie: 

 Abundant; summer resident ; arrives about April 25; departs about 

 2()th September (Nash). Mouse Kiver, at the boundary, middle of 

 Sejttember to second week of Uctober (Coues). Carberry: Very 

 abundant summer resident; breeding in every slough (Thompson). 

 Qu'Appelle: Common summer resident; breeds; arrives September 18 

 (Guernsey). 



To the Swamp Sparrows we are indebted no little for the merry 

 twittering and the bustling signs of life about the brnshj' sloughs and 

 reedy swamps of our country. 



They delight in these damp thickets and may be seen continually 

 scrambling around in the sedge and wet tangle or running on the tloat- 

 ing reeds, holding ''their skirts" very high, standing very high on 

 their legs, with tails much raised, and otherwise showing great fear of 

 getting wet. When they take wing, they flit over the water with rust- 

 ling flight and tail rapidly pumping up and down ; they usually make 

 for the nearest bush or tussock, and then appear to tumble into it 

 with nervous haste. 



While flying and climbing about in the sedge, they often utter a short 

 chirp, which is readily distinguishable when once heard, but can not be 

 described in a way that would assist in its identification. 



The commonest song of this species is a simple rapid, " tivettivet- 

 ticet-ttvet-twet-twet-tivcf-tu-ef-ticettiret-fivet,^^ all in the same note and so 



