FI!l.\(ill,I.II)J.:_THK FFNCIIKS r-- 



000 



Tt has l,o,M. iumul ^imw. rmnnnu, dnviw^ tluMvintu' muntl.H, i„ (Vntnl 

 A,u.rK.a, s,,.,.Muons Intvin^ Lc-.u pronuv,! tla-.v I.y SoHor Con.stan.Ma Mr 



Mr. \utta;i an.l .Mr. Aud.il,..,, sp.-ak' <,f it as cK■,.urrin^r in ()r.-.,„ I,„t Dr 

 toopor .1.1 net n.ec.t ni,h it un tl.o I'acific coast. I,,.. K„„,,,u^ „,;,,„,,, , 

 s.n.le s,,ocn„ov n .no of the inrks of the Colorado, in Fehruarv.^ Mr IMd.- 

 way H'et w.th e wostc-rn Torn, of ihi.s .species, in snitablo pla.es h. tl^ 



^Zr '""' '"'""'' "'^'"•""' '"•"•'•"^^'^ '••■■ '^ tlJnan.e oo"" 



rn the vu^inity oC Newark. X. .1., . have lo„n<I this speeies apparentlv one 

 of t e nK.st ahundant n. that nei,hhorhoo.,, havi„. ohtaine.l here in the 

 month of June n.ore eggs of this than of any othe, .speeies 



In XorthtieUl, III near the lake shon, Mr. i;oh..rt K.nni.ott n.et with 

 the nests ot these bn.ls in great ala.ndanee. Fron. the.se faets I infer th. 

 It IS not necessarily or e.xelusively a l.ird of the .sea-shore, la.t that in eer- 

 am hworn^ae loeaJ^ties it is as ahnn.lan, in ti... interior as on the eoa ^1 



A ■;Lr:rt •'"''' '";'"^^^''' ''"'" '''-^'^^ •■• Maine.an.lin.n;th 

 Atlantic to the interior, nearly or .piite to the I'aeiKc coast 



In Jamaica. Mr. March states, this species is not uncon.nion in the savan- 

 nas and grass lands near Spanish Town. It is a resident in that island 



K breeds there in eonsi<lerable numbers, nesting in tufts of grass-roots." 

 It IS only common in certain localities. 



I have never heard its note to know it. Wilson speaks of it as a short 

 weak, nitorrupted chirp. Acconling to Mr. Hidgway. it bears a .dose resem- 

 blance to the note ..f a grasshop,,er. Nuttall says thoy sing in an a^n-eeable 

 voice something like that of the Purple Finch, though less vigorouJ^;^ and 

 Audubon characterizes it as an unmusical ditty, composed of a few notes 

 weakly enunciated at intervals. 



Tt is terrestrial in its habits, li^ ing, nesting, and feeding on or near the 

 gi-oun.l. It subsists on larvae, insects, and the seeds of grasses and small 



This bird builds its nest on the groun.l, usuallv in a small tuft of -rass or 

 n. a cluster of plants. It is made of dry grasses, and is lined with line bent 

 and hoi'sehair. The y..ung are said to follow their parents for a short time 

 but soon separate, an.l learn to take care of themselves. This speeies is not 

 Un^wious, and is never seen in flocks, not even when just about to mi-rate 



Wilson ami Nuttall .lescribe the eggs as grayish-white, sprinkled "wit I, 

 l^own. Audulu.n says they are dingy-white, sprinkled with brown spots 

 1 ns IS not accurate. The grouu.l-color is a clear crvstalline white, beau- 

 tifully dashed and marbled with bol.l markings of an almost golden brown 

 niose spots vary in size, are often .piite large, an.l occasionally make a 

 ••orona about the larger en.l. The eggs are of a rounded oval, almost sphcri- 

 cuJ, shape, measuring .75 by .03 of an inch. 



