34 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Melospiza palustris, Baird. 



SWAMP SFASBOW. 



« 



Fringilla palustrls Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 49, pi. xxii, f. 1. — Ai'D. Orn. Riog. I, 

 I 1S31, 331 ; V, jOb, pi. Ixiv. Friiigilla {.Spizn) palustris, Hoxap. Obs. Wilson, 1825, 



! No. 10.'). Passe iruhus pa/ustri'<, BunaI'. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 4S1. 



I Amnwdromus palustris, Ai'D. Syn. 1839. — lu. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 110, \\. clxxv. 



Mtlospiza palnstris, Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 483. — Sami'F.ls, 323. i Fringilla 

 gcorijinna. Lath. Ind«^\ Orn. I, 1790, 460 (perhaps Pcncax astim/is). — Light. Verz. 

 1823, No. 251. Frimjilla {Aiiwwdromus) tj>:or(jiana, Nurr. Man. 1, (2di:d.,) 1840, 588. 



Sp. Char. Middle of the crown uniform chestnut; forehead black; superciliary streak, 

 sides of head and back, antl sides of neck, ash. A brown stripe behind the eye. Back 

 with broad streaks of black, which are edged w.th rusty yellow. Beneath whitish, 

 tintred with ashy anteriorly, especially' across the breast, and washed with yellowish- 

 brown on the sides. A few obsolete streaks across the breast, whi(;h become distinct on 

 its sides. Wings and tail strongly tinged with rufous; the tertials black, the rufous 

 edgings changing abruptly to white towards the end. Length, 5.75 ; wing-, 2.40. 



Female with the crown scarcely reddish streak<'d with black, and divided by a light 

 line. Young conspicuously streaked beneath the head, above nearly unilbrm blackish. 



Hab. Eastern North America from the Ai. .tic to the Missouri; north to Fort Simp- 

 son. 



In autiuim the male of tliis species has the feathers of the crown each 

 with a black streak ; and the centre of the crown with an indistinct light 

 stripe, materially chani^ing its appearance. 



The forehead is nsuallv more or less streaked with black. 



In the uncertainty whether the FriiKjilla m'onjinna of Latham be not 

 rather the Pcucaa cesHvalis than the Swamp Sparrow, I think it best to 

 retain Wilson's name. It certainly apjJies as well to the latter, which has 

 the black sub-maxillary streak, and the chin and throat more mouse-colored 

 thaw in imlvMr I. ^. 



Habits. Owing to the residence of this species in localities not favoring 

 fre([uent visits or carefid explorations, and still more to its shy and retiring 

 ha])its, our writers have not been generally well informed as to the history 

 and general manners of this peculiar and interesting Sparrow. Its irregular 

 distribution, its abundance only in certain and unusually restricted locali- 

 ties, its entire absence from all the surrounding neigh) )orhood, and its secre- 

 tiveiiess wherever found, have all combined to throw doubt and obscurity 

 over its movements. I'nless purposely looked for and perseveringly hunted 

 up, the Swamp Sparrow might exist in large numbers in one's immediate 

 neighborhood and yet entirely escape notice. Even now its whole story 

 is but imperfectly known, and more careful investigation into its distribution 

 and general habits wiU doubtless clear up several obscure points in regard 

 to its movements. 

 II From what is now knoMn, we gather that it occurs throughout the eastern 



portions of North America, from the Southern States, in which it passes the 



