THE FIELD SPARROW. 319 



ovate or ovoidal in form, and average about .73 by 56 inch 

 in dimensions. 



SPIZELLA PUSILLA. Bonaparte. 

 >C The Field Sparrow. 



Fringilla pusitta, Wilson. Am. Orn., II. (1810) 121; Aud. Orn. Biog., II. (1834) 

 299. 



Spizella pusilla, Bonaparte. List (1838). 



Fringilla juncorum, Nuttall. Man., I. (1832) 499. Ib. (2d ed., 1840), 577. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill red ; crown continuous rufous-red ; back somewhat similar, streaked with 

 blackish; sides of head and neck (including a superciliary stripe) ashy; ear coverts 

 rufous; beneath white, tinged with yellowish anteriorly; tail feathers and quills 

 faintly edged with white ; two white bands across the wing coverts. 



This species is about the size of 5. socialis, but is more rufous above ; lacks the 

 black forehead and eye-stripe; has chestnut ears instead of ash; has the bill red 

 instead of black ; lacks the clear ash of the rump ; has a longer tail, &c. It is 

 more like Monticola, but is much smaller; lacks the spot on the breast and the 

 predominance of white on the wings, &c. The young have the breast and sides 

 streaked. 



Length, about five and seventy-five one hundredths inches ; wing, two and thirty- 

 four one hundredths inches. 



Hob. Eastern North America to the Missouri River. 



This bird makes its appearance about the first week in 

 April, in Massachusetts, and soon scatters throughout New 

 England. It prefers dry bushy pastures and low open 

 woods, and is seldom found in the near vicinage of human 

 habitations. 



The male sings during the season of incubation, and, 

 indeed, through nearly all the summer : mounted on a low 

 tree or fence-rail, he utters his pleasing yet plaintive ditty 

 at early morning and evening, and, in dark and cloudy 

 weather, through the whole day. The song is a peculiar 

 warble, something like the syllables, *te 'de 'de 'de 'de 'de 'de 

 'd 'd 'd dr, uttered at first low, and rapidly increasing, and 

 then decreasing in tone to a faint chatter, something like the 

 twitter of the Chipping Sparrow. 



About the middle of May, the first nest is built. It is con 

 structed of stalks of dried grass and fine twigs, is loosely 

 put together, and placed usually on the ground beneath a 



