FRIXGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 51 



Habits. The Fox-colored Simrrow, in its seasons of migrations, is a very 

 common liird tln-oughout the United States east of the Mississippi lliwr. 

 It lias not been as(;ertained to breed in any part of the United States, tli()Uj,'h 

 it may do so in Northeastern Maine. Mr. J5oardnian has not met with it 

 near Calais, nor did I see nor could I hear of it in any ])art of Nova Scotia 

 or New Ihninswick that I visited. In passin},' " rth, these Ijirds lieyin their 

 noriiiern movements in the middle of March, and from that time to the last 

 of Ai)ril they are gradually approaching their sunnner quarters. Their Hi-st 

 iil)pearance near JJoston is about the loth of March, and they linger in that 

 vicinity, or successive parties appear, until about the 20th of A])ril. Tlie last 

 cornel's are usually in song. On their return, the middle or last of Octolier, 

 they pass rapidly, and usually make no stay. In Southwestern Texas these 

 birds were not observed by Mr. Dresser, nor in Arizona by Dr. (Joues, but in 

 the Indian Territory Dr. Woodhouse found them very abundant on the 

 iiliproacii of winter. Dr. (.'oues speaks of tliem as common in South Caro- 

 lina from November to April, but less numerous than most of the Sparrows. 



In the vicinity of Washington this bird is found from October to April. 

 1 have met with small groups of them through till the winter months among 

 the fallen leaves in retired corners of the Capitol grounds, where they were 

 busily engaged, in the manner of a Fipilo, in scratching in the earth for 

 their tbod. At those ]-eriods when the ground was open, their habits Avere 

 eminently similar to those of the gallinaceous birds. In March and April 

 they were in company with the White-throated Sparrows, but passed north 

 at least a month earlier. 



bccoiiiiiig biiglit riifo\is on thi" rnmi) and e.xpo.srd portion of tlip tail, but a shade darker tlian in 

 P. ilitiai ; licnil luiiloiin brown, witli a slij^Iit tinge of ash ; fi'atlier.s of tlie baek t'cntrcd with a 

 streak of darker l)rown. Wings nearly the sanit! color as the back, with no white bands ; outer 

 webs of the quills rufous, inner webs dark brown ; secondary coverts rufous, with ilark biow'.i 

 centres ; ]irinaiy poveits uniform brown. Heneath dulVwhite, with the 'throat and breast thic'kly 

 coveivil with elongated triangular s])ots and streaks of dark reddish-brown ; sides streaked with 

 riifons-brown ; middle of abdomen with a few small triangular spots of dark Inown ; under tail- 

 eoverts brownish-white, with a few small spots of bright rufous ; tibiie dark brown. The auricu- 

 lars are tinged with reiMish-brown. liri-stles at the bn.se of the bill are numerou.s, extending 

 ov<>r tlie nostrils. Tail rather long, broad, and nearly even. Third ((uill longest ; second and 

 fourth e(|iial, and but slightly shorter ; first intermediate between the fifth and si.\tli, and one 

 fouitli of an iuili shoiter than the thiril. 



"Length, (l.7:"> : extent of wings, 10.7.5 ; wing, 3.35 ; tarsus, 1 inch. 



" This s|K>eies differs givatly in color from P. Hinca. It is darker in all parts ; the feathers of 

 the baek are riiious-brown, centred with darker, instead of ash centred with brownish-red ; the 

 two white liands on the wing are wanting ; the breast ami throat are thickly streaked with 

 ulongiiled siiots of dark reddish-brown, while in P. iliaca the spots are less numerous, .shorter 

 and broader, and luiglit rufous, and the central part of the throat is nearly fre.^ from spots ; tho 

 under tail-coverts are brownish-white, with rufous spots, instead of nearly jairc! white." 



There ai-e some leatures in this bird, as described by Mr. Verrill, which seem to characterize it 

 as dill'.iviit from /'. ilinen, although it is barely possible that it is this bird in iimuiiture dres-.. 

 The streaked baek at once .separates it from all our sjiecies excepting i'/mc". Notlii.i'; is said of 

 its habits. One speeinu'ii was killed in .\nticosti, .luly 1 ; the other, August S. The true iliaca 

 was found on the island, which fact i-enders it still more probable that this is its youug. 



