VESPER SPARROW. 



GRASS FINCH. BAY-WINGED BUNTING. 

 POOC^TES GRAMINEUS. 



Char. Above, yellowish brown, streaked with darker ; line over and 

 around eyes, white; shoulder chestnut or bay; two white bars on wing; 

 two outer tail-feathers partly white ; below, white with buffy tinge ; breast 

 and sides streaked with brown. Length about 6X inches. 



Nest. In a field, old meadow, open pasture, or roadside, on the ground, 

 — usually hidden by tuft of grass or under alow bush; composed of grass 

 and roots, and lined with fine grass, sometimes with hair. 



Eggs. 4-6 ; grayish white, sometimes with green or pink tint, thickly 

 marked with several shades of brown ; 080 X 0.60. 



This plain-looking Finch chiefly frequents dry pastures and 

 meadows, and is often seen perched on the fences and in 

 orchard trees ; it also often approaches the public roads and 

 gathers its subsistence tamely from various sources. It is 

 abundant in all the States east of the Alleghanies, where many 

 pass the whole year ; yet great numbers also winter in the south- 

 ern parts of the Union, proceeding as far as the maritime 

 districts of Georgia and Florida. From the beginning of 

 April to the beginning of June, the males sing with a clear and 

 agreeable note, scarcely inferior to that of the Canary, though 

 less loud and varied. On their first arrival, as with the Song 

 Sparrow, their notes are often given in an under-tone of con- 

 siderable sweetness. Their song begins at early dawn, and is 

 again peculiarly frequent after sunset until dark, when, from 



