Jeffries on the Ipswich Sparrow. 103 



the closest scrutiny on his part has failed to discover even the 

 ftiiiltest dotting upon any of the specimens that he has examined, 

 while Mr. Kicksecker writes that his set ai'e exactly similar in shape 

 and color to those now in my possession, and that all he has seen 

 are entirely immaculate. I am aware that occasional unspotted eggs 

 occur in nests of the other and better known Vireos ; indeed my 

 collection embraces several such specimens, but they must be classed 

 as comparatively rare exceptions. If, however, the Black-capped 

 species ever lays spotted eggs, they will probably be found to con- 

 stitute the exceptions to the rule. The testimony on this point is 

 already, T think, ample enough to warrant this couclusion, based as 

 it is Tipon the examination of no less than fifteen authentic examples. 

 So far as I am aware, no other North American representative of 

 this interesting family is known , regularly to lay unmarked eggs. 

 To show the range of variation in size, I give the following measure- 

 ments, kindly taken for me by Messrs. Werner and Ricksecker. Set 

 of four eggs in the collection of Mr. Ricksecker : S:)'!i x .50 ; .71 x .51 ; 

 .70 X .51 ; .^b X .50. Set of four eggs collected by Mr. Werner and 

 recently presented by him to the Smithsonian Institution : .75 x .52 ; 

 .73 x .50 ; .76 X .53 ; .74 x .56. Set of three eggs in the collection 

 of Mr. W. H. Werner : .72 x .53 ; .73 x .50 ; .74 x .52. 



THE IPSWICH SPARROW (PASSERCULUS PRINCEPS, 

 MAYNARD). 



BY W. A. JEFFRIES. 



On the 23d of January, 1875, while collecting in Swampscott, Mass., I 

 shot a female Passerculus princeps. It was, at the time, on the crest of 

 the beach, running about on the snow, and picking up seeds in company 

 with a few Snow Buntings. Not hunting for it, I did not again meet 

 with it till October 26, 1878, when, by chance, it was noticed in the 

 same locality in good numbers. My brother and myself shot eleven be- 

 fore December 1, and one again on January 25, 1879. During November 

 wc searched for them carefully several times, and, with one exception, 

 always shot one or more specimens. Probably as many rose out of range 

 as we shot, although, from the same bird being seen several times, it was 

 hard to judge of the true number. From what I have seen and heard of 

 this bird in this part of Massachusetts, I should give it as a late fall mi- 

 grant, a few spending the winter here, there being few true winter but 

 many fall records of its capture. 



