FIMNCJILI.IDJ:- TIIK KINt'llKS. 5.-');", 



It has \hh'u I'nund ijJiit*' (mhiihhhi, (luring tin* wiiittr nn)ntlis, in ('ciitial 

 Aii»«'ii(.'a, sjt!,'(iiii 'US !i,i\iii<4 Ikh'Ii juikmui'iI tliciv l>y Scfior Cniislaiicia, Mr. 

 SkiiiULT, iiinl Dr. \ in Taiun. It was also lound at Oaxaia, Mcxini, l»v Mr. 

 linucaid. 



Mr. Xultall iin«l Mr. Aiululn>n sj.cak of it as ocTiirrinj^^ in Orri^on. Imt Dr. 

 Con|K*r (litl not meet willi it on the I'acitic coast. Dr. Ki'micrly ol>taiiKMl a 

 sinulu sju'cinien on diu' of tin* forks of ilu' [ >lora«U>, in Fchruarv. ^Ir. IJidg- 

 way met with the western form «»t" this sjjecios, in suitahle i)laees, in the 

 Sacramento Valley an«l thedivat I'asjn.und j»rojK.-as for it the name of prr- 



In the vicinity of Newark, X. d., I have found tliis sporios a])parently one 

 of the most ahundaut in that nei,i;hhnrlioo«|, liaviui: olilained there in the 

 month of Junt; more eu^s of this tlian ol any uthrr specitis. 



In Xorthtield, III, near the lake sh(»re, Mr. liolwrt Kcuuicott met with 

 the nests of these birds in ^reat ahuudance. Fmm these facts I infer that 

 it is not necessarily or ex«lusivelv a hird of tlie sea-shore, hut that in cer- 

 tain favorable localities it is as ahundaut in 1 1,' interior as on the coast, and 

 that at intervals it may l)e met with from Texsis to Maine, and from the 

 Atlantic to the interior, nearly or «iuit<' to tlu* Pacific ct»;ist. 



In Jamaica, Mr. March states, this species is not uiuommon in the savan- 

 nas and grass lands near Spanish T(»wn. It is a resitlent in that island, 

 and hreeds there in considerahle nund)ers, nesting.,' in tufts of «;rass-roots. 

 It is only common in certain localities. 



I have never heard its note to know it. Wilson s])eaks of it as a short, 

 weak, interrupted chirp. Acconling to ^Ir. ^id<x^^ay, it hears a close resem- 

 blance to the note of a iTrasshoj>j)er. Xuttall says they sing in an agreeable 

 voice, something like that of the Purple Finch, though less vigorously ; and 

 Audubon characterizes it as an unmusical ditty, composed of a few notes 

 weaklv enunciated at intervals. 



It is terrestrial in its habits, living, nesting, and feeding on or near the 

 ground. It subsists on larva', insects, and the seeds of grasses and small 

 weeds. 



This bird builds its nest on tlie ground, usually in a small tuft of grass or 

 in a cluster of plants. It is made of dry grasses, and is lined with tine bent 

 and horsehair. The young are .sai 1 to foUow their parents for a short time, 

 but soon separate, and learn to take care of themselves. Tiiis species is not 

 gregarious, and is )iever seen in Hocks, not even when just about to migrate. 



Wilson and Xuttall describe the eggs as grayish-vrhite, sprinkled Mitli 

 brown. Audubon says they are dingy- white, sprinkled with brown s])ots. 

 This is not accurate. The ground-color is a clear crystalline white, beau- 

 tifully dashed and marbled with l)old markings of an almost golden brown. 

 These spots vary in size, are often (piite large, and occasionally make a 

 corona al)out the larger end. The eggs are of a rounded oval, almost spheri- 

 cal, shape, measuring .75 by .03 of an inch. 



