FOX-COLOURED SPARROW. 61 



tell me by what other birds the murders can have been committed." I 

 laid the charge first on the Blue Jays ; but he replied that even they ap- 

 peared as if greatly molested by some other species. A day elapsed, the 

 Doctor returned, and astonished me not a little by informing me that the 

 culprit was a Mocking-bird. I went to his house on the 8th December ; 

 and, while' standing on the piazza, we both saw the Mocking-bird alight on 

 one of the Fox-coloured Sparrows, in the manner of a small hawk, and peck 

 at the poor bird with such force as to convince us that its death must soon 

 ensue. The muscular powers of the finch, however, appeared almost too 

 much for the master songster of our woods ; it desisted for a moment, out 

 of breath, and we could observe its pantings ; but it did not fail to resume 

 its hitherto unknown character of tyrant. A servant was dispatched to 

 the rescue, and peace was restored ; but the finch was almost reduced to 

 its last gasp, and shortly after expired. This very Mocking-bird we 

 strongly suspected of being the individual that had killed a Blue Jay of 

 exceedingly meek disposition, a few weeks before. It was ultimately re- 

 moved into a lonely cage, where it is yet passing its days, perhaps in un- 

 availing penitence. 



Fringilla iliaca, Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 112. 

 Fox-coloured Sparrow, Fringilla rufa, Wilson's Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. p. 53. 



pi. 22. fig. 4 Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 514. 



Fringilla (Zonotrichia ?) iliaca, Swains: North Zool. vol. ii. p. 257. 



Adult Male in Summer. Plate CVIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill short, robust, conical, acute ; upper mandible broader than the 

 lower, almost straight in its dorsal outline, as is the lower, both being 

 rounded on the sides, and the lower with inflected acute edges ; the gap 

 line nearly straight, a little deflected at the base, and not extending to 

 beneath the eye. Nostrils basal, roundish, open, partially concealed by 

 the feathers. Head rather large, neck shortish ; body robust. Legs of 

 moderate length, rather strong ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe ; co- 

 vered anteriorly with a few longish scutella ; toes scutellate above, free, 

 the lateral ones nearly equal ; claws slender, arched, compressed, acute, 

 that of the hind toe rather large. 



Plumage compact above, soft and blended beneath ; wings short, 

 curved, rounded, the second, third and fourth quills longest, and nearly 

 equal ; the first and fifth equal ; tail longish, even, or slightly rounded. 



