328 SINGING BIRDS. 



grass for the most part, and the eggs are dusky white. He 

 also adds that these birds inhabit Georgia the whole year, 

 frequenting fences, brushwood, and thickets. 



Some years ago in Georgia in the month of March I ob- 

 served these Sparrows in the open grassy pine woods, on the 

 margins of small swamps or galls. On being suddenly sur- 

 prised, they often flew off a little distance, and then, if followed, 

 descended to the ground, and ran and hid closely in the tall 

 tufts of grass. 



Their notes at this time were very long, piping, and ele- 

 vated, and resembling often tshe tship tship tship tship tship 

 tship, then tshe cK tsh' tsk' ts^h ts'h. Some of these notes were 

 as fine and lively as those of the Canary, — loud, echoing, and 

 cheerful. 



The food of this species consists of grass seeds, coleoptera, 

 and a variety of small berries as they come in season. The 

 sexes are nearly alike in plumage. 



This species occurs in the Gulf States and north to South Caro- 

 lina and southern Illinois, but the vicinity of Charleston, S. C, is 

 the only locality in which it has been found in abundance. Very 

 little is known of its habits or of its distribution. 



Note. — The type of this species is larger and darker than 

 bacJmianii. It is restricted to southern Georgia and Florida, and 

 has been named the Pine-woods Sparrow {J^euccsa cEstivalis). 



LINCOLN'S SPARROW. 



LINCOLN'S FINCH. 

 Melospiza LINCOLNII. 



Char. Above, streaked with brown, gray, and black ; below, white ; 

 band across the breast and on sides brownish yellow. Length about 

 ^Yz inches. 



Nest. On the ground, amid low bushes, along the skirts of marshy 

 meadow, or on a dry grassy hillock in an open woodland ; composed of 

 grass. 



Eggs. 4-5 ; pale green or huffish, — sometimes almost white, — thickly 

 spotted and blotched with reddish brown and lilac ; 0.80 X 0.60. 



