l-'i;i.N(ill-MI).K Till'; KIXCIIKS. 5(31 



well' ill low hnsluis, iiliout ii I'imiI, IVoim tliu ,<;r()uinl. I'lify wcru the only luml- 

 birds fouml on tlicsc islands. 



llcv. ('. M. .louos inroiMiH nw. tlial at Mailisuii, Conn., on tliu coast, tlui 

 Suasidu and tlic Sliarp-tailod Finclu's ocenr in about C(iual nunilniis in tlie 

 salt niai'sho.s. llo was iiv)t ablo to obsi-rvn any spociiic (litVcivnci' in their 

 modi! of iicstin".;', ox("i'iit that tlu^ iiuiri/iiitus snenu'd to lie inor,' (-oninion in 

 that part of the marsh nearest the shore, while the nindintitii^ was more 

 abundant furtiier back towards the hinidands, though this was not the inva- 

 riable rule. He sometimes found the nests suspended in the salt grass, the 

 latter being interwoven with the other materials. Tu all .sncli cases the en- 

 trance was on the side (tf tiie nest, in the manner of the Marsh AVren. At 

 other times he found the nest placed under a i^uantity of lodged grass, but 

 resting on a portion still lower. In such cases it is generally open at the tnj). 

 He has also found theai on the ground, and, wlien thus placed, always much 

 more bulky than when l)uilt as above, a consideraiile (piantity of dead gra.ss 

 being laid down to keep the nest above the wet, though not always \\ith 

 success. On CoblVs Island, \-a., Air. Jones only found the m(iriliiii>i!<, the 

 nests of which were in liushcs, from one foot to eighteen inelies fi.im the 

 ground. 



The call-note of this species is said to l»e a monotonous chiri), and its song 

 hardly to deserve that name. The notes t)f winch it is comitosed are few, 

 and have neither variety, emphasis, nor attractiveness. 



Dr. Cones states thiit this Fincli begins to sing whtiu mating, and is after- 

 wards, during the incubating, i)articularly earnest and ]u'rsevering about it. 

 Each jiair usually claims some particular cojjse, and tlie male usually has his 

 favorite singing-post, to which it coiitinually resorts. He adds that its 

 simple song is something like that (»f the Yellow diouldered Sparrow, begin- 

 ning with a few slow notes, then a rapid trill, finally slurred, till it .sounds 

 like the noise made by some of the grasshojipers. 



These l)irds are at all times shy and dillicult to l)e ajiproaehed. When 

 their nest is visited, the parents leave it and seerete themselves, and cannot 

 be tmced without great ditliculty. When llnis hidden, they will almost 

 suller themselves to be trodden upon before they will ily up. 



Mr. Audubon thinks they iiavo two broods, their tirst being liatched out 

 early in June. Their nests, he states, are usually placed ne.\t to the ground, 

 but not sunk in it. Their footl consists of marine in.sects, small crabs, and 

 snails, as well as small sand-beetles and seeds. Tlieir flesh has a rank, un- 

 savory flavor, so nmch .so that, having had some made into a pie, he could 

 not eat it. He states also that they are resident in the Southern States, and 

 are found along the (iulf coast as far as Texas. 



The nest is strongly but coarsely woven of dry sedges, stems, and grasses, 



and is lined with similar but flner materials. The eggs are live in number, 



have a grayish-white groiuid, and are s])otted and blotched with reddi.sh- 



brown. Tilt! blotches are distril)uted over th(> entire egg, and are niudi 



71 



