554 Noin'ii AMi:i!i('.\N. liiitns. 



Gosso. Tt is scarcoly possilile to (listiii,u:iiisli tlii'so Janiiiicnn ajieoiinens from 

 tiXiiiiipli's lit 111 the Kiistt'iii l*i(i\ iiicc (if llic I'liitcd Stati'H, tlioiigli inimite 

 (lilVcri'iicc's niv. ulisfrviilili". Tlirir .sizi; is .soiiU'wiiat sinalli-r, l)iit tliciy uiv, resi- 

 dent III till' region wliero alitaii't^d ■ and (lie sliail<'s of cidor arc, just appre- 

 cialdy darivor. Tlioi'c, arc, liducs-cr, no dilfcrouces sutlieicnt to justify retaiii- 

 inj^ the name /i.rimis, to dcsi^nutc even a variety. 



All tiic spccinu'iis in tin; collection fioin Ah'xico and (Juateniala arc in 

 the autumnal or winter dress, so that it is prolialde that they are not resi- 

 dent there ; they appear to he identical with North American specimens, and 

 rcferrihle to the varii-ty p((xsii-liiii.i as restricted. 



IJetwi'.'n Slimmer and winter .specimens ;4reat diflerences are oh.servahle ; 

 in the former season the edges of the feathers heconie worn, so that ollen the 

 chestnut spots disajipear entirely, while the other nmrkings become poorly 

 defined, leaving the Idack Wotciics ])red(imiiiant. 



II.MMTS. The comniiin Yellow-winged Sparrow appears to he n bird of 

 irregular and unequal distrilmtion, found in certain localities in great abun- 

 dance, and not seen in the intervening districts. According to some writers, 

 it is partial to .sandy places near the sea, and this is certainly true of the 

 neighborhood of Xew York City, and also of a large portion of the New 

 Jersey coast. It is likewi.se the case in certain portions of Eastern Massa- 

 chusetts, as, according to Mr. ]\raynard, this species is very numerous in 

 Nantucket, where it breeds abundantly. I have never met with this Sparrow 

 in Massachusetts, exciipt in a single instance, near I'xistoii, nor in any collec- 

 tions of eggs have I seen any that I suppo.sed coiiM be tlio.se of this .sjiecies; 

 yet ill the western part of the State, according to Mr. Allen, it is an abun- 

 dant Slimmer visitant, arriving there al)out the first week in ^fay, and leav- 

 ing early in September, breeding in dry fields and iiastures, and raising two 

 broods in a season. According to Mr. Hoardman, it is an occasional visitant 

 in tlic neighborhood of Calais, yet rare ; arriving there the first of April, five 

 weeks earlier than it shows itself in Springfield. Yet that this bird has 

 ever been met with lietween lioston and Calais does not appear. It was not 

 seen in Western Maine by Professor Yerrill. 



In the vicinity of Hartford, Conn., this bird appears also to be a not un- 

 conimon summer resident. In 18(50, I received from Mr. T. S. Ihandigee 

 several nests found in tiiat neighborhood. Tiicy were all constructed on the 

 ground, in a field of thin grass, and their tops were all nearly covered over. 



Dr. Ileermann states that he found this bird a not uncommon species, in 

 the sumiiKT season, near San Antonio ; and Mr. Dres.ser also jirocured a speci- 

 men there in the early summer. Dr. Lincecum mentions it as a common 

 resident in Washington (.'ounty, in the same State. He de.scribes it as a 

 close-hiding ( Jrass Sparrow, running on the ground in the manner of a mouse, 

 and never seen to alight on trees. ])r. C'oues speaks of it as a resident 

 species in South Carolina, especially abundant during the period of migra- 

 tion. 



