274 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



breast and sides, and an indisUnot narrow brown streak on the edge of the chin, eutMngr 

 off a light stripe above it Ear-coverts brownish yellow, margined above and below by 

 dark brown, making throe dark stripes on the face. Bill reddish, dusky towards tip. 

 Legs yellow. Length, 4.75; wing, 2.55. 



"The ashy collar is quite conspicuous, and streaked above with 

 brown. The rump is immaculate. The streaks on the feathers of 

 the crown almost form continuous lines, about six in number. The 

 brown line above the ear-coverts is a postocular one. That on 

 the side of the chin forms the lower border of a white maxillary 

 stripe which widens and curves around behind the ear-coverts, 

 fading into the ashy of the neck. The wing feathers are all mar- 

 gined with paler, and there is an indication of two light bands 

 across the ends of the coverts. 



"The young of this species is tliickly streaked beneath, over the 

 throat, breast, and belly, with brown, giving to it an entirely differ- 

 ent appearance from the adult. The streaks in the upper parts, 

 too, are darker and more conspicuous. The margins of the feathers 

 are rather more msty. 



"This species is readily distinguishable from the other American 

 Spizellas, except S. breweri (which see), in the dark streaks and 

 median ashy stripe on the crown, the paler tints, the dark line on 

 the side of the chin, etc." {Hist. N. Am. B.) 



The Clay-colored Sparrow is one of that group of species to which 

 we have previously alluded (see page 246) as characterizing a Cam- 

 pestrian Province. Its range is closely coincident with that of 

 Sprague's Pipit (Anthiis sj^rar/iieii), Baird's and Leconte's Sparrows, 

 Harris's Finch, McCown's and Chestnut-collared Lougspurs, and 

 Lark Bunting, — being the Great Plains, in their whole extent, from 

 the Valley of the Saskatchewan southwards, and to the eastward 

 extending sparingly into the prairie districts along the eastern side 

 of the Mississippi river. In Illinois, the present species is known 

 with certainty to occur only in the more northern portions of the 

 State, although it no doubt inhabits the prairie districts well south- 

 ward, especially in the more western counties. Mr. Nelson records 

 it as "a rare summer resident about the borders of prairies," in 

 Cook county, and adds that "specimens are in Mr. Holden's col- 

 lection taken near Chicago." 



In its habits this species is said to closely resemble the Chipping 

 Sparrow, especially in its confiding familiarity, and its song is said 

 to be very similar to that of S. socialis. The nest and eggs of the 

 two species are hardly distinguishable. 



