74 



THE FIELD SPARROW. 



No. 36. 



FIELD SPARROW. 



A. O. U. Xo. 563. Spizella pusilla (Wils.). 



Description. ^-hinlts: Crown dull chestnut with a slight admixture of 

 ashy gray; auriculars bordered with chestnut; nape gray; feathers of back rufous 

 with black central streaks and buffy edgings; wings dusky, the primaries edged 

 with whitish and the rest with rufous, the middle and greater coverts tipped 

 with white, forming two inconspicuous bars ; tail fuscous ; below ashy gray, un- 

 marked save for slight brownish suffusion of breast and flanks ; bill pale reddish ; 

 feet pale. Length 5.25-5.75 (133.3-1/16.1) ; wing 2.57 (65.3) ; tail 2.05 (67.3) ; 

 bill .36 (9.1). 



FIELD SPARROW'S XEST IN GRASS CLUMP. 



Recognition Marks. Warbler size; crown not bright chestnut; bill uniform 

 pale reddish ; unmarked below r . This bird has few positive marks, and is oftenest 

 ''sensed," or determined by elimination. 



Nest, in low bushes or on the ground, a neat but simple structure of dried 

 grasses, sometimes, but rarely, lined with horse-hairs. Eggs, 3-5, white, bluish- 

 or pinkish-white, with numerous small spots of reddish brown, generally dis- 

 tributed or gathered loosely about larger end. Av. size, .70 x .51 (17.8 x 13.). 



General Range. Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 



