102 BIRDS OF MAINE. 



Genus PASSERELLA Swainson. 



245. (585). Passerella iliaca (Merr.). Fox Sparrow. 



Of quite general and common occurrence as a fall and spring 

 migrant. This is the handsomest of our Sparrows and bears a not 

 distant superficial resemblance to the Thrushes. At first glance 

 I have often mistaken one of these birds for a Thrush, and it needed 

 the second look to convince me of my mistake. They greatly love to 

 scratch about among dead leaves and other fallen rubbish, while 

 the noise thus produced is worthy of a larger bird. While hunting 

 in the fall I have often mistaken the scratching of this bird among 

 the leaves for a Grouse running along, and my gun would leap to 

 my shoulder before the mistake in the identity of the noise pro- 

 ducer was discovered. 



County Eecords. Androscoggin, "common migrant" (Johnson) ; Cum- 

 berland, "common migrant" (Mead) ; Franklin, "rare migrant" (Swain) ; 

 Kennebec, "very rare migrant" (Powers) ; Knox, "migrant" (Rackliff) ; 

 Oxford, "migrant, very common" (Nash) ; Penobscot, "common 

 migrant" (Knight) ; Piscataquis, "common migrant" (Homer) ; Sagada- 

 hoc, "common spring migrant" (Spinney) ; Somerset, "common migrant" 

 (Morrell) ; Washington, "fall and spring" (Boardman) ; York, "not 

 very common migrant" (Adams). 



Genus PIPILO Vieillot. 



246. (587). Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). Towhee. 



A somewhat common summer resident of those countries within 

 Alleghaniau fauna, while elsewhere in the state it is of rare or 

 casual occurrence. 



County Records. Androscoggin, "rare summer resident" (Johnson) ; 

 Cumberland, "rare" (Mead) ; Oxford, "breeds commonly" (Nash) ; Sag- 

 adahoc, "common summer resident" (Spinney) ; York, "very abundant" 

 (Adams). 



Genus CARDINALIS Bonaparte. 



247. (593). Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). Cardinal. 



It is highly probable that all of this species which have been 

 taken in the state are escaped cage birds, but at the same time the 

 fact that Cardinals have been taken in a state of freedom entitles 

 them to be represented in the list. Prof. Powers of Gardiner 

 writes that one of these birds was shot from a flock of three, in that 

 vicinity, in 1896. In response to further queries on my part, he 



