FIELD SPAEEOW. 335 



and towns. Although found in woodland, its preference is for the open 

 country and sparsely wooded pasture fields. In the fall they become gre- 

 garious, but in spring, though number.^ may be seen together, they are 

 seldom seen in flocks. The common name is derived from its note. Its 

 song is a rapid, prolonged, monotonous, but not unpleasant repetition of 

 a single note. 



Oq one occasion I found the nest of this bird on the ground. It was 

 placed in a slight depression in the turf of a woodland pastuie, and con- 

 tained four eggs. I kept sight (f it until the young were hatched and 

 left the nest, which did not differ in construction from those placed in 

 trees. 



The nest of the Chipping Spirrow, so far as known, with the above 

 single exception, is always placed in trees or bushes. It is indiflerently 

 fixed in a perpendicular or horizontal fork, and is for the most part com- 

 posed of black horse-hair, with a loose foundation of grass and vegetable 

 fibres. I have seen two nests composed entirely of white hairs. The 

 eggs are four or five, bluish -green, rather sp.rsely sjjotted with purplish- 

 and blackish-brown. They measure about TO by ,65. 



Spizella pufiLLA (Wils.) Bp. 



Fririgilla xntsilla, Kirtlakd, Ohio Geolog. Suiv., 18:i8, 164. 



Friwjilla jimcorum, Read, Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sui., vi, 185;!, 395. 



Sp^zella pmilla, Wheaton, Ohio Agric. Rep for 1860, 36H ; Repriut, 1861, '8; Food of 

 Birds, etc , Ohio Agric. Rep. for ld7.|, .506; Repriut, 18/5, 6 — Lakgdon, Cat. Birds 

 of Gin., 1877, 9; Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, lB79, 175; Repriot, 9. 



Fringilla pusilla, Wilson, Am. Orn , ii, 1810, 121. 

 Frill gillajuncorum, Nuttall, Man., Ib32, 499. 

 Sjpiztilla pusilla, Bonap.irtjc, List, 1838, 33. 



Bill pale reddish; feet veiy pale; crown dull chestnut; no decided black or whitish 

 about head. Bulow, white, unraarkeil, but ujueh washed with pale brown on breast and 

 sides; sides of head and neck with some vague biown markings; all the ashy parts of 

 aocialis replaced by pale brownish Back bright bay, with black streaks and some pale 

 flaxen edgings; inner second iries similarly variegated; tips of median and greater 

 coverts forming decided whitish oross-barH. Size of socialis, but more nearly the colors 

 of mottlicola. Young, for a short time, streaked belovf as in aocialis. 



Habitat, Eastern United States. 



Abundant summer resident from April to November. Frequents es- 

 pecially the edges of woodland and borders of fields ; sometimes, while on 

 its spring migration, visits the gardens of cities. Its song is rather 

 mournful, but very sweet and pleasing. It is heard during the whole 

 day, and is especially noticeable at midday, when most birds are silent. 



