PASSERES — FRINGILLIDAD — FRINGILLA. 
151 
% 
THE BAY-WINGED SPARROW. 
Fringilla graminea. 
PLATE LXI. FIG. 140. 
(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Fringilla graminea, Gmelin. Grass Finch, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 375. 
Emberiza id. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 4, p. 51, pi. 31, fig. 5. 
F. (Spiza) graminea. Bonaparte, Ann. Lyc. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 108, Nijttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 482. 
Audubon, folio, pi. 90. 
F. (Zonotrichia) id. Rich. &. Swainson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 254. Kirtland, Zool. Ohio, p. 164. 
Peabody, Birds of Mass. p. 322. 
Emberiza id., Bay-winged Bunting. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 3, p. 65, pi. 159. 
E. id. Giraud, Birds of Long Island, p. 101. 
Characteristics. Above, grey varied with dusky. Breast and flanks streaked with brown 
spots. Lesser wing-coverts bay. The outer tail-feathers partly white. 
Length, 5^ inches. 
Description. Bill feebly notched near the tip. Second and third quills nearly equal. Tail 
slightly emarginate, 1 • 2 longer than the tips of the closed wings ; its feathers slightly acumi¬ 
nate. 
Color. Above, the head streaked with dark brown lines, which become more dilated on 
the interscapulars. Smaller wing-coverts bay, but this is nearly concealed by the feathers of 
the side of the neck. Wings and tail of the same color with the streaks. Ear-feathers 
dull chesnut: a narrow soiled whitish circle around the eye. Outer webs of the quills, and 
tips of the wing-coverts, edged with dull white. The first outer tail-feathers nearly all white ; 
the second with the terminal portion of the outer vane whitish. Two obscure narrow white 
bands on the wings, formed by the tips of the wing-coverts. Beneath, the chin bluish grey. 
Breast and flanks dull white, and streaked with dusky. Belly and vent soiled white. Female 
scarcely differs from the male. 
Length, 5‘5-6'0. Alar extent, 10 - 0-10‘2. 
This familiar sparrow, known in many parts of this State as the Grass-bird and Grey 
Grass-bird, is common in the Atlantic district during the whole year. The greater number, 
however, pass a few of the winter months not farther north than Pennsylvania. The eggs 
are flesh-colored, with numerous reddish brown blotches, thickest at the larger end: the nest 
is placed on the ground. Feeds on insects and grass-seeds. It ranges from Texas to the 
57th parallel along the Atlantic coast. It has been observed on the Columbia river, and also 
in the State of Ohio. 
