C. H. Merriam Birds of Connecticut. 39 



doubt of its breeding. He further states : " There is a small piece of 

 woodland in this place where surely they cannot be considered rare. 

 Have seen several that I've not been able to shoot. They are very 

 shy. You just barely get a glimpse of one and have just time to get 

 an idea of what it is, when down he goes into the thick shrubbery, 

 and no amount of patient waiting will tempt him to come in sight 

 again. Provoked, you determine to kill every one that comes in 

 sight, and after the slaughter of half a dozen innocent Song or Swamp 

 Sparrows, you conclude that that won't do. Then, perhaps, almost 

 the first bird you leave will be Lincoln's Sparrow. T think they are 

 much more common than generally supposed, but are so shy, and 

 inhabit such bushy pastures, that they are hard to find."* J. G. 

 Ely, of Lyme, Conn., "took three this spring" (1877). 



95. JlinCO hyemalis (Linne) Sclater. Slate-colored Snowbird. 



A common winter resident, arriving, from the north before the 

 middle of October (Oct. 8, 1876, Osborne), and remaining till the 

 first week in May (last seen May 2, 1877, Osborne ; May 3, 1876). 



96. Spizella monticola (Gmelin) Baird. Tree Sparrow. 



A common winter resident, but more numerous in spring and fall. 

 Arrives from the north about the last of October (Oct. 28, 1875), 

 and remains till near the middle of April (Apr. 12, Osborne). 



97. Spizella SOCialis (Wilson) Bonaparte. Chipping Sparrow. 



An abundant summer resident, arriving as early as the latter part 

 of February (Feb. 23, 1877, G. B. Grinnell), and remaining, in num- 

 bers, till the last cf November. Sometimes places its frail nest on 

 the ground, as well as on trees and bushes (Coe). A few sometimes 

 spend the winter with the English Sparrows about town. They 

 often awake in the night, sing once, and go to sleep again. Scarcely 

 a night passes (in June and early July) but that I hear one sing 

 several times generally about midnight. 



98. Spizella pusilla (Wilson) Bonaparte. Field Sparrow. 



An abundant summer resident, generally breeding in open fields. 

 Arrives early in April (Apr. 6, 1877, Portland, Conn., Sage), remain- 

 ing till December (have taken it all through November and on Dec. 



* MS. notes of Erwin I. Shores. 



