386 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



537. Calcarius pictus (Swains.). SMITH'S LONGSPUB. Ad. <? in sum- 

 mer. Top and sides of the head black, a line over the eye and the ear-coverts 

 white ; back and rump streaked with black and ochraceous-buff ; lesser wing- 

 coverts black, broadly tipped with white ; tail fuscous, the two outer feathers 

 mostly white; nape and underparts ochraceous-buff. Ad. 9 in summer. 

 Upperparts black, the feathers margined and tipped with pale cream-buff; 

 two outer tail-feathers mostly white; underparts pale cream-buff; breast and 

 sides sometimes lightly streaked with blackish. & in winter. Similar to 9 

 in summer, but with the lesser wing-coverts black, tipped with white. L., 

 6'60; W., 375; T., 2'50; B., '42. 



Range. Interior of N. A. Breeds in Arctic zone on the Barren Grounds 

 from Ft. Anderson, Mackenzie, e. to Hudson Bay (Ft. Churchill) ; has been 

 taken w. to Ft. Yukon; winters from Kans. to cen. Tex.; e. in migrations to 

 the prairies of Ills, and sw. Ind. ; casual in S. C. 



Nesting, similar to that of the preceding. Date, Ft. Anderson, Mack., 

 June 12. 



"Their habits are quite similar to those of C. lapponicus while 

 upon the ground. . . When flushed they invariably uttered a sharp, 

 clicking note, rapidly repeated several times. When driven from their 

 feeding-place by my approach they would rise in a loose flock, and, 

 after wheeling about a few times, start off in a direct line, gradually 

 rising higher until they disappeared. After a short time their peculiar 

 note would be heard, and, darting down from a considerable height, 

 they would alight near the place from which they were driven" (Nelson). 



The CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (538. Calcarius ornatus) a species 

 of the Great Plains, has been recorded from Massachusetts, Long Island, 

 Maryland and Maine. 



McCowN's LONGSPUR (539. Rhynchophanes mccowni), a species of the 

 Great Plains, is of casual occurrence in Illinois. 



540. Pooecetes gramineus gramineus (GmeL). VESPER SPARROW. 

 Ads. Upperparts brownish gray, streaked with black and a little ochra- 

 ceous-buff; wings fuscous, greater and middle coverts tipped with white, 

 lesser coverts bright rufous; tail fuscous, the outer feather mostly white, the 

 next one with much less white; underparts white; the breast and sides 

 streaked with black and ochraceous-buff. L., 6'12; W., 3'06; T., 2'38; B., '41. 

 Remarks. The white tail-feathers and rufous lesser wing-coverts will 

 always distinguish this species from any other of our Sparrows. 



Range. E. N. Am. Breeds 

 in lower Canadian, Transition, 

 and Upper Austral zones from 

 sw. Keewatin, cen. Ont., cen. 

 Que., and Cape Breton Is. s. to 

 e. Neb., cen. Mo., Ky., Va., and 

 N. C., w. tow. Minn.; winters 

 from the s. part of its breeding 

 range to the Gulf coast, w. to 

 middle Tex. ; casual in Bermuda 

 and Yucatan. 



Washington, P. R., very 

 FIQ. 103. Tail-feathers of Vesper Sparrow. common T. V., less so in sum- 

 mer and winter. Ossining, toler- 

 ably common S. R., Apl. 2 to Nov. 4. Cambridge, common S. R., Apl. 5- 

 Oct. 25. N. Ohio, abundant S. R., Mch. 20-Nov. 7. Glen Ellyn, fairly 

 common S. R., Mch. 21-Oct. 25. SE. Minn., commgn S. R.. Apl. 1-Oct. 29 

 Nest, of rather coarse grass, lined with finer grasses, rootlets, and long 



