Plate XVL 



SPIZELLA PUSILLA-Field Sparrow. 



The Field Sparrow arrives from the South about the last of March. As soon as warm weather 

 fairly commences they begin the duties of home and housekeeping, usually rearing two and often three 

 broods. In October the majority depart for a more congenial latitude. Some remain until November, 

 and perhaps a few may even endure our winter, as Mr. F, W. Langdon reports a specimen taken the 

 fifteenth of December, 1879, near Madisonville. 



LOCALITY: 



Contrary to Avhat the name indicates, this species frequents during the nesting season upland woods. 

 The nest either is placed in the bushes, or ujDon the ground in a tussock or at the root of a bush in a 

 thicket ; occasionally they build in the briers- along the roadside, or upon the ground in a pasture ; but 

 nearly always the birds confine themselves to the outskirts of woods with thick undergrowth of hazel, 

 wild roses, briers, and other shrubs common to the State, and seldom go more than a few hundred 

 yards in the interior. 



POSITIO A^ : 



The nests seem to be about equally divided between the ground and the bushes. When in the 

 former position, a little depression is chosen, and the structure is neatly fitted into it with the rim about 

 level with the surrounding earth. When in the latter position, it is placed in any arrangement of twigs 

 that will support it; it is not built about and cabled to them as is the nest of the Summer Warbler, 

 but it is simply loosely arranged upon the stems, or Avedged in among them so that it will not topple 

 over, and nearly always it can be lifted out without tearing it in the least. It is seldom if ever over 

 five feet from the ground, and commonly is Avithin tAVo or three. 



MATERIALS : 



The foundation of the nest consists of weed-stems from a twentieth to a tAvelfth of an inch in 

 diameter, to Avhich is frequently added blue-grass, roller-grass, fine fibres or rootlets. The superstructure 

 is composed of a foAv fine AA^eed-stalks, split grasses, roller-grass, and fine rootlets or tendrils. The lining 

 is nearly always of black horse-hair, neatly and often quite thickly coiled against the superstructure. 

 Thirteen nests before me are all lined with black horse-hair except tAvo ; in one of these the hair is 

 Avhite, the other is lined with split grasses. Some nests are lined Avith grasses and hair combined, and 

 occasionally coAv-hair is used. The materials and general appearance of the nest, Avhether placed Upon 

 the ground or in a bush, are quite uniform. The arrangement of the exterior is ahvays loose ; one side 

 of the foundation near the rim usually contains more Aveed-stems than the other; this gives an easy^ 

 often careless air to the structure. The external diameter varies from three to four inches; the average 

 is about thi^ee and one-half inches. The depth is betAveen tAvo, and three and one-fourth inches; average 



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