YELLOW-WINGED SPAEROW. 327 



The Grass Pineh builds its nest on the grouiid, usually in an exposed 

 place, often under a thistle; it is composed of bits of weed-stalks and 

 grass, with a little horso-hair for a lining. The eggs are usually four, 

 grayish-white, spotted with reddish-brown, and more or less blotched 

 and lined with dark brown. Their average measurement is .80 by .65. 



Gknius COTURNICULUS. Bonapart-e. 



Bill sliort, fjargid, under niandibl* broader but lower than upper. Wings short, ■ 

 srounded, itjaohing to base of lail; th« ttrtials almosi; as long as primaries; not mn<3li 

 <diiferenoe in length of primaries. Tail ulaort; and narrow, decidedly' shorter thanwingj 

 graduated lateraliy, but slightly emarginate. 



C!oTUENICTJLtrS PASSERINUS QWIIs.) Bp. 



'Vellow-'OP'inged. ^paj-ro^sv- 



FritrijiWa paeeerin-a, KirT!:,and, Ohio Geolog. Snrv., 1838, 164. 



Cotxmiculas paesmnKS, WHEATON,X3bio Agri-c. Kep. for 1660,3665 Eepriut, 1661, 8-; Food 

 of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Sep, f(ir 1874, .'>66-; Reprint, 1875, 6, — Lan«don, Cat. Birds 

 ofCiii., 1877, 8; Journ. Cin. Soc, Nat. Hist., i, 1878, 114; Keprint, 65 Eevised List, 

 Jouru. Ciu. Soe. Nat. Hist., i, 1S79, IT.'i; Eepriut, S. 



iFringilla passerina, Wilson, Am. Orn., ili, 1811, 76. 

 iColurnicidus passerinue, Bonapartjj, List, 1838, 32, 



Edge of wing eonspiciionsly yellowy lesser wing coverts an<i short line over the ey« 

 yellowiBh; below, not or not evi-dently streaked, but fore parts and sides buff, fading to 

 •dull wJiite on the ))eUy. Above, singularly variegated with black, gray, y^ellowish- 

 fcrown, and a jmculiar purplish bay in short streaks an-d specks, the crown being nearly 

 black, with a sharp njeddan brownish-yellow line, the middle of the back chiefly black, 

 »wilh bay and brownish-yellow edgiL-gs i.f the feathers, the .cervical region and rump 

 ■chiefly gray, mixed with bay.; ■wing-coverts and inner qnillu va.riegated like the back; 

 ofeet pale. Young similar, not so buffy below, and with pectoral and maxillary dwsky 

 spots. Leng.tb, 4j-.')f ; wing, 2-i; tail, 2 of less, the outstretched feet reaching to o.r 

 beyond its end. 



Habitat, United States^ 80u*h to Guatemala aaad Costa Rica. Cuba. Jamaica. Porto 

 Kico. 



Common summer resident from April to August. Breeds. Dr. Kirt- 

 3an-d inserts it in his catalogue without comment. Mr. Langdon gives 

 it as a rare summer r-esident, on the authority of Mr. Dury. In the 

 vicinity of Columbus it is very common in meadows, clover and grass 

 fields. In its habits it is shy and retiring, usually not observed until it 

 is flushed, when it -darts off rapidly^ in 3. zig-zag flight, as if mu<;h 

 alarmed, then pursues a short course, which deviates by angles rath-er 

 then curves, and having reached a safe distance, drops quickly to the 

 ground. Fields with a few stumps are favorite localities, and the male 



