i68 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



FOX SPARROW. 



A. O. U. No. 585. (Passerella iliac-a.) 



RANGE. 



In the United States this sparrow is found east of the plains, but in 

 Canada it is found distributed irregularly from the Atlantic to the Pa- 

 cific and from Alaska and the Arctic coast southwards. It winters in 

 the southern part of the United States and breeds north of our border. 

 NEST AND EGGS. 



The Fox Sparrow nests either in small trees or on the ground, most 

 often in the latter location. The nest is made of grasses and moss 

 and lined with finer grasses and feathers. The eggs are laid during 

 the latter part of June. They are pale greenish blue blotched and 

 speckled with reddish brown. They lay four or five eggs. Size .90x.65 in. 



DESCRIPTION. 

 Length, 7 in.; extent, 11 in.; tail, 3 in. Feet, pale brown. Upper 

 mandible dark; lower yellowish. Eye brown. The general color of 

 the upper parts is a rusty red, this color being strongest on the rump, 

 wings and tail, and the remainder of the upper parts being mixed 

 somewhat with gray. Under parts white, thickly covered except on the 

 belly with spots of reddish brown, these being mostly in the form of 

 arrow points. The wing coverts are edged with whitish forming two 

 narrow wing bars. 



HABITS 



The Fox Sparrow is the largest and is by many considered to be the 

 handsomest of the whole family. Considered strictly in accordance 

 to their inches in length, one or two others may be considered his 

 equal in size, but this variety has a larger body, and his shorter tail 

 accounts for his shortness in length. 



During the latter part of April flocks containing hundreds of these 

 bright fox colored birds are scattered over the northern parts of the 

 United States. These flocks do not tarry in one place more than a day 

 but continue their journey northwards. For about a week, however,, 

 there does not appear to be any diminution in their numbers, for when 

 one flock leaves there is another to take its place. When on these 

 migratory journeys they are very sociable with one another and I have 

 never seen one of them quarreling with another. They take their food 

 entirely from the ground and only leave it to hop to a low twig or a 



