V °i89? VI ] Allison, The Sparrows of Mississippi. 267 



(Passerella iliaca), which is a regular winter bird in some parts 

 of Louisiana — should certainly be found ; but, probably on 

 account of the very poor opportunities I have had for winter 

 field work in Mississippi, I have not had the good fortune to find 

 them. 



The genera known to me to be represented are : Poacetes, 

 Ammodramus^ Chondestes, Zonotrichia, Spizella, /unco, Peuccea, 

 and Melospiza. Of the first genus, the well-known Vesper Spar- 

 row is necessarily the representative ; of the second, seven 

 species and subspecies occur. Chondestes is represented by its 

 only species; Zonotrichia has, apparently, but one representative; 

 Spizella two ; /unco and Peuaca each one, and Melospiza two. 



Pocecetes gramineus. Vesper Sparrow. — A winter resident, appear- 

 ing as far south as 31 about the last of October, and becoming common 

 in a week after the first birds arrive. Its favorite haunts are old fields, 

 preferably those grown up near the edge with scrub pines. 



Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna. Savanna Sparrow. — This 

 seems hardly as abundant in Mississippi as in Louisiana, where it is 

 almost everywhere one of the commonest winter birds; in Amite 

 County, Miss., where I stayed until November 16 in the fall of 1S97, I 

 did not see a single specimen, though it arrives at New Orleans early in 

 October. On the Gulf Coast, comprising Hancock, Harrison and 

 Jackson Counties, it is abundant, though apparently not arriving as 

 early as in Louisiana at corresponding latitudes. In these counties it 

 flocks with the preceding Sparrow in the pine clearings, and frequents 

 the dry marshes to some extent. 



The bulk of the individuals leave in spring about April 20, but a few 

 linger until the second week in May, and Prof. G. E. Beyer, of Tulane 

 University, New Orleans, has in his collection a skin from Covington, 

 La., labelled June 15. 



Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus. Western Savanna Spar- 

 row-. _ Accidental, and, so far as I know, only one specimen has been 

 reported from the State. This was seen by my brother, W. B. Allison, 

 and myself, in Amite County, on November 12, 1897, and secured. It 

 was identified by Dr. Merriam. 



Ammodramus savannarum passerinus. Grasshopper Sparrow. — 

 Strangely uncommon in all parts of Mississippi to which I have recently 

 had access; it is a regular, though not a common, breeder near New- 

 Orleans, but is not resident, and so is probably only a breeder in Miss- 

 issippi. 



Ammodramus henslowii. Henslow's Sparrow.— This beautiful little 

 Sparrow is probably a winter resident in Amite County, and is not 



