BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 315 
AMMODRAMUS LECONTEIL (Aupugon). (548.) 
LECONTE’S SPARROW. 
It affords me great pleasure to credit the discovery of this 
species within our boundaries to C. L. Herrick, now quite 
well known amongst western educators and to naturalists 
generally. I will transcribe that portion of a report* made to 
me, as State Ornithologist, in March, 1878, which pertains to 
this species: 
‘‘Six specimens have been taken inall. It was first obtained 
by Mr. C. L. Herrick on June 20th, 1877, when an adult male 
was secured and others noticed. On the following day a young 
bird was taken by the same collector in the same place. On 
the 22d, T. S. Roberts having been informed by Mr. Herrick 
of the capture of the sparrows, and the locality, visited the 
meadow and was rewarded with a fine male, a sight of one or 
two others, and an acquaintance with the song. July 17th Mr. 
R. 8S. Williams secured an adult female, and on August Ist a 
young bird. The last specimen was a bird of the year taken 
on August 8th by T.S. Roberts. These birds were all taken 
in the same locality—a ditched, but at the same time moder- 
ately wet meadow, supporting a heavy growth of grass, per- 
haps a foot and a half to two feet high, with here and there 
low swamp willows. The most swampy portion of this 
marsh is the home of marsh wrens, (both species, ) a few Vir- 
ginia Rails, Maryland Yellow-throats, Swamp Sparrows, etc. 
‘The bird in question, however, seemed to prefer the dryer 
parts around the edge. Here the collector, walking quietly 
along, may hear in the grass a smothered, rapid kind of chirp- 
ing. Investigation shows it to proceed from Leconte’s Bunt- 
ing. The startled bird, if the collectoris not a sure shot on the 
wing, flies ina wren-like manner for a moderate distance, and 
drops suddenly into the grass. It will now require patience to 
flush it again, and each successive attempt grows more difficult. 
The song is firm, wiry, and uttered with the head thrown up in 
the manner of the Yellow-winged Sparrow (Coturniculus passer- 
inus). In fact the general character of the song is much like 
the ordinary efforts of this species. They sing at times on the 
ground among the tall grass, but mounted upon a small bush 
or other low elevation, is apparently the preference. 
“It is probable that there are but one or two broods in this 
meadow, which was of limited extent, and as yet they have 
"#7. S. Roberts, C. L. Herrick, R. 8. Williams, of Minneapolis. 
