Vermont Bird Club 31 



The species probably nests somewhere in the low land of Addison 

 or northern Rutland counties, though, for some time later G. H. Ross 

 of Rutland heard the Henslow sparrow's note in a wet meadow near 

 Leicester Junction, about four miles north of the spot first mentioned. 



Twice in 1913 the writer located one of these birds and in each 

 instance there was probably a pair nesting. As the sparrows choose 

 for their summer homes meadows in which there is a dense growth of 

 timothy, if possible, they are very difficult to observe, but their pres- 

 ence may be ascertained by listening for their song, which is continued 

 by the male incessantly until well into July, the hot weather of mid- 

 day seeming not to put a damper on his enthusiasm. 



During the first week in July, 1913, it gave me pleasure to hear 

 the unmistakable see-wick, strongly accented on the last syllable, com- 

 ing from a dense growth of grass in a very wet meadow near the city 

 of Rutland. Later visits showed that the birds continued to sing until 

 the grass was cut. I never saw them at this place, so expert are they 

 at hiding, and I ceased to hear the song after the hay was removed. 



My most unusual record for this bird was made on July 20, 1913, 

 when I heard the song coming from a tiny meadow along the road 

 leading east over the mountain from Wallingford, and at an altitude 

 of about 1,500 feet. It was surprising to hear the notes of this bird 

 of southern distribution mingled with those of the olive-backed thrush 

 and white-throated sparrow on the nesting grounds of these northern 

 breeding birds. The fiora in the vicinity was largely that of the Cana- 

 dian zone. 



While I have not made sufficient investigations to say so positively, 

 it is my belief that the Henslow sparrow has been overlooked, like 

 the grasshopper sparrow, and will be found to breed locally in many 

 places in Vermont. 



BIRDS OF BENNINGTON AND VICINITY 



Du. L. H. Ross. Bennington 



The region covered by this report is that part of the watershed of 

 the Walloomsac River which lies within the State of Vermont. It com- 

 prises all of the town of Bennington, together with parts of the towns 

 of Pownal, Stamford, Woodford, Glastenbury and Shaftsbury, w^iich 

 are the six towns grouped in the southwestern corner of the State. 



