BIRDS OF NEW YORK 285 



Distribution. The Chestnut-collared longspur inhabits the Great 

 Plains, breeding from Montana, southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba to 

 central Wyoming, Kansas, eastern Nebraska and western Minnesota; 

 winters from Colorado and Iowa to Arizona and the Mexican tableland. 

 Accidental in the Eastern States. It is purely a straggler within our borders. 

 Two specimens have been taken on Long Island, the first at Long Island 

 City, February 16, 1889 (see Hendrickson, Auk, 6:89); the second specimen 

 was collected at Millers Place, September 14, 1891, and reported by A. H. 

 Helme. 



Pooecetes gramineus gramineus (Gmelin) 

 Vesper Sparrow 



Plate 82 



Fringilla graminea Gmelin. Syst. Nat. 1789. 1:922 



DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 151, fig. 140 

 Pooecetes gramineus gramineus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. 

 p. 253. No. 540 

 Pooecetes, Gr., icda, meadow, and ofxinrjc;, inhabitant; gramineus, Lat., grassy 



Description. Grayish brown streaked with dusky; under parts dull 

 white spotted on the breast and sides with dusky; the tail fuscous except 

 the central feathers which are like the back; outer tail feathers mostly white; les- 

 ser wing coverts rufous; ear region usually shows dusky spot ; legs flesh colored ; 

 general appearance of the bird is a pale grayish brown, streaked sparrow. 



Length 5.8-6.7 inches; extent 10-11; wing 3-3.4; tail 2.4-2.7; bill 

 .42; tarsus .83. 



Distribution. The Vesper sparrow inhabits eastern North America 

 from southern Keewatin, central Quebec and Cape Breton to eastern 

 Nebraska, Kentucky and North Carolina; winters from the Central States 

 to the gulf coast. In New York this sparrow is a common summer resident 

 of all portions of the State and in the region near the sea and some of the 

 warmer counties a few remain throughout the winter. The spring migra- 

 tion begins from the 18th to the 30th of March in the southern part of 

 the State; in the northern counties from the 1st to the 6th of April. In 

 the fall the birds disappear between the 1st and 15th of November, some- 

 times a few remaining until the last of the month. 



