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THE SEA-SIDE FINCH. 



Fringilla maritima, Wils. 



PLATE XCIII. Male and Female. 



The monotonous chirpings which one hears in almost every part of our 

 maritime salt-marshes, are produced by this bird and another nearly al- 

 lied to it. The Sea-side Finch may be seen at any hour of the day, du- 

 ring the months of May and June, mounted on the tops of the rankest 

 weeds which grow by the margins of tide-waters along the greater por- 

 tion of our Atlantic coast, whence it pours forth with much emphasis the 

 few notes of which its song is composed. When one approaches it, it 

 either seeks refuge amongst the grass, by descending along the stalks and 

 blades of the weeds, or flies off to a short distance, with a continued 

 flirting of its wings, then alights with a rapid descent, and runs off" with 

 great nimbleness. I am inclined to believe that it rears two broods in 

 the season, as I have found birds of this species sitting on their eggs early 

 in May, and again in the beginning of July. The nest is placed so close 

 to the ground that one might suppose it partly sunk in it, although this 

 is not actually the case. It is composed of coarse grasses externally, and 

 is lined with finer kinds, but exhibits little regularity in its structure. 

 The eggs are from four to six, of an elongated oval form, greyish- white, 

 freckled with brown aU over. The male and the female sit alternately, 

 and wiU not fly off at the sight of man, unless he attempts to catch them 

 on the nest, when they skulk off as if badly wounded. Many nests may 

 be found in the space of a few acres of these marshes, where the land is 

 most elevated, and where small shrubs are seen. They select these spots, 

 because they are not liable to be overflowed by high floods, and because 

 there are accumulated about them drifted sand, masses of sea- weed, and 

 other castings of the sea, among which they find much food of the kind 

 which they seem to prefer. This consists of marine insects, small crabs 

 and snails, as well as the green sand beetle, portions of all of which I 

 have found in their stomach. 



It is very difficult to shoot them unless when they are on wing, as 

 their movements while they run up and down the weeds are extremely 

 rapid ; but their fliglit is so direct and level, that a good marksman can 



