44


to the usual seeds, but I think is largely insectivorous, as it is

always eager for mealworms, and will consume a considerable

quantity of egg food and ants' eggs. I do not find that it remains

on the ground more than other finches, rather the contrary, and

in this respecft the English name does not seem justified ; the

eyes in my birds are distindtly not red but brown, which is

described as a feature of the immature bird. When on the

ground it frequently scratches like the Combassou, and if its

food be placed in an open pan will at once scatter the whole of

it over the floor of the aviary.^' It will, no doubt, be perfectly

hardy in our climate.


The White-throated Song Sparrow f Zo7iotrichia albicollis),

also a native of the Eastern United States, is a trifle larger than

the Chingolo Song Sparrow, the tail in particular being longer and

more graceful. The general colour is a greyish-brown, mottled

with black centres to the feathers ; the most distindtive features

are the white throat, from which the species takes its name, and

a dash of 5^ellow over the lores. The hen has hardly a trace of

the yellow dash, her throat being greyish, and the breast mottled

very like a thrush. My birds have so far hardly uttered a sound,

but I suppose they would naturally not sing in the winter. They

are even fonder of mealworms than the Towhee, and will

pluckily snatch one out of the very beak of a much larger bird.

They appear to be far bolder in character than their Chingolo

relative, which with me has always shown a most retiring disposi-

tion, usually hiding in a corner of the aviary during the middle

of the day, though fairly active in the morning and afternoon,

but even then rarely bold enough to come forward for a meal-

worm .


The third species I had some difficulty in identifying ; it is

not always easy to make out an obscure bii'd from scientific

descriptions. It is the " Eittle Sparrow " Bunting {Spizella

pusilla), also from North America. The total length is less than

five inches, of which over two inches are taken up by the tail.

The general colour is rather bright brown with darker centres to

the feathers, the under parts being decidedly paler ; the very short

conical beak and legs are pinkish. There seems to be no

difference between the sexes. In my bird the right wing is

almost entirely white, no doubt a case of albinism. Like the

White-throated Song Sparrow he is very partial to mealworms.

I have as yet observed no peculiarity in his habits.


* This habit of scratching like a Combassou is characteristic of the 80115 Sparrows,

and therefore confirmatory of its position among tlie Buntings.— A. G. B.



