238 BIKDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



3. No yellow spot before eye. See 4. 



3. A yellow spot before eye. See 5. 



4. Colors of upperparts sharply contrasted; chest usually deep buffy, not decidedly streaked. 



Nelson's Sparrow. 



4. Colors of upperparts not sharply contrasted; chest often nearly white, sharply streaked with 



blackish. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 



5. Breast and flanks streaked with bluish gray; upperparts greenish olive, margined with bluish 



gray. Seaside Sparrow. 



5. Breast and flanks streaked with dusky. See 6. 



6. Upperparts deep black margined with olive. Macgillivray's Seaside Sparrow. 

 6. Upperparts dull black margined with greenish olive. Scott's Seaside Sparrow. 



226. Passerherbulus henslowi henslowi (Aud.). HENSLOW'S SPARROW. 



Description: Ads. Top and sides of head and nape dull, pale olive-green, more buffy in the 

 fall; sides of crown black; nape finely streaked with black; back rufous-brown, the feathers with 

 narrow, central, wedge-shaped, black streaks, and narrow ashy margins; bend of wing pale yellow, 

 wing-coverts, much like back; tail-feathers very narrow and sharply pointed, middle feathers 

 rufous-brown, the outer ones much the shortest; underparts white, more or less washed with 

 buffy and streaked with black on the breast and sides. Nestlings have no spots on the breast. 

 L., 5.00; W., 2.20; T., 2.00; B., .42. 



Remarks. The peculiar olivaceous color of the head and nape, and the bright rufous-brown 

 color of the back, wing-coverts, and middle tail-feathers, are the best distinguishing marks of 

 this species. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. Eastern United States, west to edge of Great Plains; winters in Gulf States. 



Range in North Carolina. So far, only known as a spring migrant at Raleigh and Weaverville. 



FIG. 187. HENSLOW'S SPARROW. 



Henslow's Sparrow is""a bird of much the same general form as the Grasshopper 

 Sparrow, but of a more buffy color. It has been taken in this State only at Weaver- 

 ville, in Buncombe County, where a single specimen was killed by Cairns April 19, 

 1890; and at Raleigh, from which place it has been recorded by H. H. and C. S. 

 Brimley in seven different years, the earliest being 1893 and the latest 1909. Nine 

 specimens in all were taken at various dates between March 18 and May 3. These 

 were found mainly in dry fields, but a few were located along the edges of marshes. 



227. Passerherbulus lecontei (And.). LECONTE'S SPARROW. 



Description: Ads. No yellow before the eye or on the bend of the wing; a broad ochraceous- 

 buff line over the eye, and a cream-buff line through the center of the blackish crown; nape rufous- 

 brown, each feather with a small black central spot and an ashy border; back black, the feathers 

 margined first by rufous, then cream-buff and whitish; tail grayish brown, with a slight rufous 

 tinge, darker along the shaft, the feathers narrow and sharply pointed, the outer ones much the 

 shortest; breast and sides tinged with buffy, and more or less streaked with black; belly white. 

 L., 5.00; W., 2.00; T., 2.05; B., .35. (Chap", Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. Great Plains and more western prairies, wintering on the Gulf, coast, casually m 

 winter and the migrations to the South Atlantic States. 



Range in North Carolina. So far, known only as a straggler at Raleigh. 



