178 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



546a. CoTURNicuLus savannarum bimaculatus (Swains.). 

 Western Grasshopper Sparrow. 



Ammodramus bimaculatus. Coturniculu^ passerinus perpallidus. Ammo- 

 dramus savannarum perpallidus. 



Geog. Dist. — Western United States and Mexican tableland. 

 East to Minnesota, Iowa and eastern Kansas. South to Guate- 

 mala and Costa Rica. 



After comparing the Grasshopper Sparrows, which Mr. E. 

 Seymour Woodruff captured in southern Missouri in March and 

 April 1907, he comes to the conclusion that they are rather 

 intermediates, but nearer to bimaculatus, '^ having smaller bills, 

 more chestnut and less black on their backs than the eastern bird.'^ 



*547. Ammodramus henslowii (Aud.). Henslow's Sparrow. 



Emberiza henslowii. Fringilla hensloivii. Coturniculus henslowii. Hens- 

 low's Bunting. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States north to New Hampshire, 

 New York, Ontario, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc., breeding south 

 to lat 38°, west to eastern Kansas. Winters in the southern 

 states from Florida to Texas. 



In Missouri a locally common summer resident in marshes and 

 wet meadows, probably of general distribution throughout the 

 prairie and Ozark border regions, but easily overlooked. It 

 has been found nesting in damp fields in St. Louis Co. and in the 

 marshes of St. Charles Co. It is reported as a breeder in the 

 Mississippi river bottom along the state line from Quincy, War- 

 saw and Keokuk. Audubon met with it May 9, 1843, near the 

 northwest corner of Missouri and Mr. W. E. D. Scott found it 

 common and breeding June 1 to 10, 1874, at Warrensburg. 

 Mr. Chas. Tindall also found it common at Independence. It 

 reaches the breeding grounds in Missouri during the latter half 

 of April and remains with us until late in October. The earliest 

 date in spring migration is contributed by Mr. E. S. Woodruff, 

 who took one in Shannon Co., March 19, 1907. To detect it in 

 early spring and summer one has only to be in its haunts before 

 sunrise, when sitting on weed stalks it utters its peculiar '^se- 

 wick" incessantly until the sun is well up in the sky. It is also 

 heard before nightfall, but during the day its song is given only 

 at long intervals, especially on warm days and when feeding the 

 young in the nest. Like its cousins, the Henslow's Sparrow 

 lies very close and flies quite a distance before ahghting in the 

 tangled grass, in which it escapes by running and hiding. 



