86 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



(field sparrow). This specimen of the chipping spar- 

 row is the first that I have ever examined closely enough 

 to distinguish it from the field sparrow. I have never 

 found the 'chippey' here in summer. It feeds in large 

 flocks, on lawns in the spring especially." 



Naturally one wonders, if this was the first time that 

 the Doctor had distinguished the chipping from the field 

 sparrow, how he could know that it did not occur in 

 summer. That he was not slow to correct his errors is 

 evidenced by this published note: "Common. Resident. 

 Breeds." (1891a). 



July 24, 1889, is recorded the observation of an adult 

 male feeding a grasshopper to a young male of the season. 



No. 139. Male. Greensboro. May 18, 1889. W. C. Avery. 

 No. 284. Male. Greensboro. Nov. 30, 1889. W. C. Avery. 

 No. 294. Male. Greensboro. Dec. 6, 1889. W. C. Avery. 

 No. 324. Male. Greensboro. Dec. 20, 1889. W. C. Avery. 



No Male-hornot. Greensboro. Aug. 9, 1890. W. C. Avery. 



No. 857. Female. Greensboro. May 29, 1891. W. C. Avery. 



136. SPIZELLA PUSILLA PUSILLA. (Wilson). 

 FIELD SPARROW. 



The first mention of this sparrow is significant in that 

 it reflects the state of the Doctor's knowledge of 

 ornithology at the time. June 17, 1876, he records his 

 first specimen as Spizella socialis and writes : "This little 

 bird is very common. It has a very cheerful, and loud 

 song for a bird so small. At the North it is called 'chip- 

 pie.' It hops about there in the yards and like the robin 

 is very gentle." However, he secured the proper tool 

 (Coues' "Key") and that he made good use of it is evi- 

 denced by the fact that the last two sentences were 

 scratched and the following note inserted on the margin : 

 "Since writing this I see my mistake in calling this bird 

 Socialis, it is anything but social in its habits. It is 

 PusiUa" 



The nest and eggs of the field sparrow had been taken 

 prior to the capture of the above specimen. As No. 4 of 

 the "Oological Register," is entered a nest taken June 5, 

 1876, at Greensboro. Besides the bare record of species, 

 date, and locality, there is the following paragraph: "I 

 had supposed till I found this nest, that this little bird 



