5G0 



XOKTII AMKKICAN UlllDS. 



Ammodromus maritimus, swainson. 



SEASIDE BUNTING. 



Friiigilla vurritlma, Wilson", Am. On;. IV, 1811, t'tS, pi. .xxxiv, f. '2. .\i'i». Orn. 

 Hio<;. I, 1831, i»l. xciii. ^InunixlrinuH.s iniiritinni>i, S\v. Zoiil. .Tour. Ill, 1>"J7, '^'lii. 

 — B<»NAi'. List, 1>:{8. In. Consp. lsr,o, 4S_>. -Arn. Synoj^sis, lf<3y, 110. -lu. 

 Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 103. pi. clxxii. - IVvii:i>, Binls X. Am. 18;'h. 4r>4. — Samtkls, 

 308. FriinjiUa {Amiuoilromus) Duirifimn, Xr rr. Man. I, ('2»1 tnl., ) 1N40, .'ilfj. Frin- 

 ,jiUi> i,ific(fif/icr(ii/i. All). ()in. llio-j. II, 1834, '2S3 ; IV, 1838, 31»4 ; V, 1^3l^ 4i>9, pi. 

 rcclv. Aiiutiiidrnmus moetjillivraifi, VntS. Li.st, 1838. — In. Coii.spcctus, 18r»0, 482. — 

 An». Syn. 183!>. — In. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 106, pi. elxxiii. Friiujil/a {.hnmodro- 

 i/iUK) mocifilllrrinji, NrriALL, Man. I, r2d fd.,t 1840, .'»S»3. 



8p. CiiAU. Above olivaoeons a.shy-brown ; iioarly iinifonn. l>ut with tho centres . 

 terscapular tl'atluMS darker and edged faintly witli paler; very obsoletely, almost inap- 

 preciably streaked elsewhere. es]>ecially on the liea<I, which h.as a faintly dcHned median 

 stripe of purer lushy. Beneath white ; the Itreast and sides and under tail-covorts with 

 rather indistinct streaks of dark Jushy-l>rown. tendin<r to form a larj^e spot in centre of 

 breast: an ashv manchbular stripe continued into the ashv si<les of neck, and cuttini; ofl' 

 and endosiiiir «'i white strijte aliove it. A spot of yellow anterior to eye, continued over 

 it as an almost inappreciable giayish stripe. Edge of wing sulphur-yellow. Bill lead- 

 color; feet dusky. Length about G in Thes ; wing, 2.50. In autimni the breast and slides 

 tinged with fulvous; the liack with rufous. 



Young birds (J. macfjiUivniiii?) have markings n>'!.li more distinct, ami clo.«;ely resem- 

 ble A. raxdarntd, though larger. They will be most readily distinguished by the absence 

 of the fnlvous superciliary stripe. 



Hab, Atlantic .sea-coast of United States, northward to Long Island Sound. 



The same seasonal differences in coloration are observable in this species 

 as in A. vaudacutus. 



Habits. The Seaside Finch has verv nearh' the same distribution, hab- 

 its, and manners of life, as the ShariJ-tailed species, and the description of 

 these in one would answi^r almost ecpially well for the other. There are. 

 however, certain sliades of difference in several respects to be observed. 



This bird is, if anything, more southern in its distribution than the other, 

 and does not extend its visits in summer so far north. While the Sharp- 

 tailed Fincli is not an uncommon bird on the shores of tlie Xew England 

 States, as far to the north as Ipsv - h, the Seaside Finch is comparatively 

 mre, much more so now than it was formerly. Mr. Maynard states that he 

 has searched carefully for it from the Merrimack to the extreme southern 

 shores of Massachusetts without finding any specimens, nor could lie find 

 any on tlie island of Nantucket, a very natural and congenial locality. Dr. 

 Coues states that it is abundant on the New Hampshire coast, but recent 

 endeavors have failed to detect it. In 18.*>lj and 1887 a few isolated i)airs 

 built in the marshes of Stony Brook, near Boston, al)ove tide-water, nesting 

 not on tlie ground, but in low bushes. They were identified by Mr. Audubon. 



In the summer of 1852 I found this species very abundant on the low 

 sandy islands of Cape Charles, Va. There, in every instance, their iicsts 



