68 PROCEEDINGS MANCtIP:STER INSTITUTE 



intermittently, later. It is very unusual to hear a Chippy sing 

 in the autumn. When I have taken the record of the morning 

 awakening of the birds by their songs within hearing of the 

 yard, on different June mornings, I have invariably recorded 

 season by season four Chippies singing on different sides, indi- 

 cating this to be the number of pairs within hearing distance. 



In September and earl}^ October flocks numbering from fifty 

 to a hundred birds are seen on the Highland, probably composed 

 of local families. These remain about for many days. A small 

 flock or a single bird has been observed in some seasons as late 

 as the middle of October. 



118. Spizella pusilla pusilla. Field Sparrow. 



A rare summer resident on hillside pastures, but becoming 

 less rare. In 1902 one was clearly identified on June 11 on a 

 neighbor's grounds on the Highland, but the bird was not seen 

 again. The same day on the South Lancaster road one was 

 heard singing. In 1903, on May 27, the song was heard from 

 the pasture below the same neighbor's house, but on this day 

 only. In 1904 and 1906 no record was obtained. In 1905, on 

 July 5, one sang mau}^ times in the vicinit}^ of the chapel on the 

 Highland and was heard on no other day. 



In 1907, on June 28, one was seen singing in a pasture on 

 a hillside in Lancaster near the Coos Junction railway station. 

 On July 18 the bird was still singing there, and the female was 

 also seen, indicating without doubt a nesting. This was the 

 first instance of a probable nesting which had come under my 

 observation. In 1908, on June 9, a bird sang for four hours 

 on the side of Boy Mountain opposite our house. This bird 

 remained on the Highland and was heard singing in the neigh- 

 borhood on many of the days following in June and in July up 

 to the 23d day, indicating a probable nesting. This was the 

 first year that the song of the species had been heard on the 

 Highland at frequent intervals throughout the breeding season. 

 In 1909 the song was heard for the first time in Randolph, This 



