234 SONG SPARROW. 



nada to the southern boundaries of Georgia; but Mr. Abbot in- 

 forms me, that he knows of only one or two species that remain 

 in that part of Georgia during the summer. 



The Song Sparrow builds in the ground, under a tuft of grass; 

 the nest is formed of fine dry grass, and lined with horse hair; 

 the eggs are four or five, thickly marked with spots of reddish 

 brown on a white, sometimes bluish white ground; if not in- 

 terrupted, he raises three broods in the season. I have found his 

 nest with young as early as the twenty-sixth of April, and as late 

 as the twelfth of August. What is singular, the same bird often 

 fixes his nest in a cedar tree, five or six feet from the ground. 

 Supposing this to have been a variety, or different species, I 

 have examined the bird, nest and eggs, with particular care, 

 several times; but found no difference. I have observed the 

 same accidental habit in the Red-winged Blackbird, which 

 sometimes builds among the grass, as well as on alder bushes. 



This species is six inches and a half long, and eight and a 

 half in extent; upper part of the head dark chestnut, divided, 

 laterally, by a line of pale dirty white; spot at each nostril yel- 

 low ochre; line over the eye inclining to ash; chin white; streak 

 from the lower mandible, slit of the mouth, and posterior angle 

 of the eye, dark chestnut; breast and sides under the wings thick- 

 ly marked with long pointed spots of dark chestnut, centered 

 with black, and running in chains; belly white; vent yellow 

 ochre, streaked with brown; back streaked with black, bay, 

 and pale ochre; tail brown, rounded at the end, the two middle 

 feathers streaked down their centres with black; legs flesh co- 

 loured; wing coverts black, broadly edged with bay, and tipt 

 with yellowish white; wings dark brown. The female is scarcely 

 distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The bill in both 

 horn coloured. 



