THE SONG-SPARROW. 179 



The day after the nest is done an egg is laid, and one more 

 each succeeding day until there are five; and very hard to 

 distinguish from the eggs of several other ground-building 

 sparrows they are. The ground-color runs through all in- 

 termediate tints from grayish or brownish white to decided 

 green. The blotching is generally profuse, and often con- 

 fluent into a wreath about the large end, the colors being un- 

 derlying purples and bright brown surface painting. They 

 are inclined to be thick and blunt rather than elongated, 

 and will average about .90 by .60 of an inch. I can find 

 no variations worth stating between the eggs of the differ- 

 ent varieties. Those from the Pacific coast appear to be 

 the largest, and those from southern localities the smallest ; 

 but the variety in size, shape, ground-color, and pattern is 

 almost limitless, and I repeat that the strongest identifica- 

 tion is necessary to make sure between these eggs and those 

 of the swamp-sparrow, the grass-finch, the Zonotrichice, and 

 several other members of the family. 



The female sits eleven or twelve days, occasionally re- 

 lieved by the male while she takes a brief rest. He assidu- 

 ously provides her with food from hour to hour, but spends 

 all his leisure at home, ready to resist invasion or insult, 

 and enlivening the tedium of her sitting with his love 

 ditties. 



