326 BISDS — FRINGILLID^. 



feathers. The eggs are from four to six in number, greenish- or grayish- 

 white, more or less thickly blotched with different shades of brown. 



Genus POOECETES. Baird. 



Bill rather large; upper outline slightly decurved towards the eod, lower straight. 

 Wings unusually long and pointed, reaching to the middle of the tall, second and third 

 quills longest, the iirat a little shorter. Inner secondaries lengtheued. Tail feathers 

 hroad nearly to the end, where they are obliquely truncate. Tarsus about equal to 

 middle toCp outer toe a little louger than inner, hind toe reaching to base of middle 

 claw. 



PooECETES GRAMiNEus (Gm.) Baird. 



Bay-^vinged Buntirig ; G-rass Kincli. 



Fringilla graminea, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Sur\r., It 3d, 164. — Rbad, Phila. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci., Ti, 1853, 395. 



Poocates gramineus, Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. Eep. for 1860, 1861, 366; Eepriur., 8. — Lang- 

 don, Revised List, Jonrn. Gin. Soo. Nat. Hist., 1, 1879, 175; Reprint, 9. 



Pooecetes gramineus, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 1K7.5, 566; 

 Reprint, 6. 



Poocetes (error) gramineus, Langdon, Cat. Birds of Ciu., 1877, 8. 



Fringilla graminea, Gmemn, Syst. Nat., i, 1788, 'Ji'i. 

 Pooecetes gramineus, Baird, Birds N. A., 1858, 449. 

 Pooecetes gramineus, Ci UBS, Key, 1872, 136. 



Thickly streaked everywhere above, on sides and across breast; no jellow anywhere; 

 lesser wing-coverts cJiestnut, and one to three outer pairs of tail feathers party or wholly 

 white. Above, grayish-brown, the streaking dusky and brown, with grajish white; 

 below, white, usually buffy-ting?d, the streaks very uuinerous on the fore part and 

 sides; wing-coverts and inner quills much edged and tipped with bay; crown like back, 

 without median stripe, line over, and ring round eye, 'Ahitish ; feet pale. Length, 5J-6J ; 

 wing, 2|-3i: tail, 2J-24 



Habitat, United States from Atlantic to Pacific; north to the Saskatchewan. 



Abundant summer resident, from latter part of March to November. 

 Breeds. The Grass Pinch frequeuts commons, roadsides, fallow and 

 weedy fields, seldom in woodland or well cultivated places. It is noted 

 for its clear, sweet, and finely modulated song, which is heard through- 

 out the day, but especially in the evening after most birds are silent, 

 and in cloudy weather. The song lacks the vivacity and emphasis of 

 that of the Song Sparrow, but excels it in sweetness. From the habit 

 of singing in the evening it is often called the Vesper Bird. 



This species varies considerably in its general coloration, and appar- 

 ently in size. Individuals in March, in worn plumage, being lighter 

 and apparently smaller than October birds in their new, long feathers. 

 In the fall they, migrate in coinpanies, and sometimes are found in grassy 

 woodland. 



