KUINGILLID.K TIIK FlNCIiKS. 501 



we'iv ill low l)uslies, alxnit a foot tVoiu iIil' ground. Tlu'v were tin' oiilv laiul- 

 birds tbuiul on tlit'si' islands. 



Hex. ('. M. fTouL's inl'oriiis iiu; that at Madison, ( "onii., on the ooast, \\n\ 

 Seaside and the Sliarp-tailed Finthes occni' in about et[ual numbers in the 

 salt marshes, lie was not able to (observe any sj)eeitie ditVereiiee in tlieir 

 mode ot" nestiiijjf, ex('ei>t that the nuiritimiis seemed to be more common in 

 tJiat part of the marsli nearest tlu^ .shore, while the rdudurufus was more 

 abundant fartlier Ijaek towards tlie highlands, though this was not the inva- 

 riable rule. He sometimes found the nests suspended in the salt grass, tlie 

 hitter being interwovt'ii with the other materials. Tn all sucli cases the en- 

 trance was on the side of the nest, in the manner of the Marsh Wren. At 

 other times he found the nest jjlaced under a ([uantity of lodged grass, but 

 resting on a portion still lower. In such cases it is generally o]>en at the to]». 

 He has also found them on the grimiul, jmkI, when thus placed, always much 

 more bulky than when built as above, a considerate ([uantity of dead grass 

 being laid down to keep the nest above tlie wet, though not always with 

 success. On l'obl>'s Island, Va., Mr. Jones (mly found the nun-it i inns, the 

 7iests of which were in bushes, from one foot to eiiihteen inches from the 

 ground. 



The call-note of this species is said tt^ be a monotonous chirp, and its song 

 hardly to deserve that name. The notes of which it is com])ose(l are few% 

 and have neither variety, emphasis, nor attractiveness. 



Dr. Coues states that tiiis Fincli begins to sing when mating, and is after- 

 wards, during the incubating, }mrticularly earnest and }>ersevering about it. 

 Each pair usually claims some particular copse, and the male usually has his 

 favorite singing-i>ost, to which it contiiuially resorts. He adds that its 

 simple song is something like that of the Yellow-shouldered Sparrow, begin- 

 ning with a few slow notes, then a rapid trill, finnlly slurred, till it sounds 

 like the noise made by some of the grassho])pers. 



These l>irds are at all times shy and difficult to be aj>}»roached. When 

 their nest is visited, the parents leave it and secrete themselves, and cannot 

 be tmced without great ditticulty. When thus hidden, they will almost 

 sulfer themselves to be trodden u])on before they will Hy up. 



Mr. Audubon thinks tliey have two l»roods, their first being hatched out 

 early in June. Their nests, he states, are usually placed next to the ground, 

 but not sunk in it. Their food consists of marine insects, small crabs, and 

 snails, as well as small sand-beetles and seeds. Their flesh has a rank, un- 

 savory flavor, so much so that, having had some made into a pie, he could 

 not eat it. He states also that they are resident in the Southern States, and 

 are found alont; the (Julf coast as far as Texas. 



The nest is stronulv but coarsely woven of dry sedi^es, stems, and grasses, 

 and is lined with similar but finer materials. The eggs are five in number, 

 have a grayish-white ground, and are spotted and blotched with reddish- 

 brown. The blotches are distributed over the entire egg, and are much 



71 _ _ ^ .: . ,.;:-...^.- --■-.^----■.-'- - 



