202 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



paces before again dropping, when they conceal themselves so 

 skilfully, that, even upon a comparatively bare spot, it is im- 

 possible to catch sight of them ; sometimes they alight upon the 

 stem of a plant near its base, but even this is unusual, and never 

 on any account do they perch upon a tree or bush. Their flight 

 is wavy and irregular, and this, combined with their minute size, 

 the rankness of the vegetation in the spots which they affect, 

 their wonderful power of secreting themselves, and the almost 

 impossibliity of getting a sitting shot, makes them a most diffi- 

 cult bird to collect. If not shot dead they flutter away among 

 the roots of the grass, and defy all search. Though not properly 

 gregarious they are sociable little birds, several examples being 

 usually found in close proximity one to the other. They have a 

 musical but rather querulous call-note, which may be heard 

 repeatedly in their haunts though the author keeps himself quite 

 invisible. When much disturbed they sometimes essay a more 

 protracted flight than usual, and this is a most extraordinary 

 performance ; having risen at first about twenty feet into the 

 air, they tumble in a slanting direction, about half way to the 

 ground as if they had lost their balance, but recovering themselves 

 they again rise, only to fall again, each of these efforts bringing 

 them on about fifteen feet. Their food consists entirely of small 

 seeds. The ear-covers of this species are ashy, not buff, as in the 

 figure in the " History of North American Birds." The female 

 and young show faint spots across the breast, the adult male 

 having that part quite immaculate. As before mentioned, 

 Leconte's sparrow bears a distinct affinity to Ammodromus, eypn 

 more so than it does to Coturniculus. These birds have all left 

 the country by the first week of April, 



Chondestes grammica (Say.) Lark Finch. — An abundant 

 summer visitor to the prairie districts, arriving about the last 

 week in March, and leaving by the end of September ; they fre- 

 quent the cultivated fields and mesquite flats along the border 

 of the timber, the former principally while engaged in the duties 

 of reproduction, the latter in small flocks or family parties 

 towards the end of the season, when, indeed, it deserts the 

 prairie farms in a great measure for more wooded haunts, but 

 notwithstanding it is never found in the true timber districts 

 Their nests are usually situated upon the ground, most frequently 



