344 BIRDS — -fRINGILLIDJE. 



the crown. Bend of wing, middle and greater coverts, fulvous. Under parts delicafo 

 fawu-color, deepest upon t,be breast. No Diarkings beneath, excepting a faintly indi- 

 cated line of dusky Sf.ots iipoa the sides of the breast. From a specimen in my cabinet 

 collected at Columbus, Ohio, by Dr. J. M. Wheaton. This bird is very young, scarcely 

 large enough to fly." (Breioster, 1. c, 187^.) 



Habitat, Eastern United States; west to Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado; noith to 

 Massachusetts ; south to Mexico, Central America, and New Grenada. 



Abundant summer resident from May to September, in Middle and 

 Southern, less common in Northern Ohio. Frequents clover and grain 

 fields. Probably has greatly increased in numbers with the increase of 

 ■ cultivation. Audubon states that it is rare in Ohio and Kentucky, and 

 Dr. Kirtland says that he admits it to his list on insufficient authority. 

 Mr. Read omits it. It is now the characteristic summer bird of fields 

 throughout Middle and Southern Ohio. 



No one of our Sparrows is more variable in plumage. Although the 

 above description is correct for a large proportion of birds, yet many 

 specimens are found which differ from it in several particulars. I am of 

 the opinion that it is several years before they attain their highest plum- 

 age, and that the sexes can not be distinguished by their color alone. The 

 size also varies considerably, and the naales are not always larger than 

 the females. Very highly colored males have the head decidedly glossed 

 with yellow, and the breast decided, though not definite, rich yellow, 

 prolonged as a broad median line to the lower belly. Some males, appar- 

 ently adult, have the black throat-patch, instead of broad and shield- 

 shaped, reduced to a small indefinite spot; in others the black of throat is 

 entirely wanting, but the maxillary streaks are present, with or without 

 pectoral streaks. Males without black on the throat show no lack of 

 chestnut on the wing or yellow on the breast. In fact the chestnut on 

 the wing sometimes appear in an inverse ratio to the black on the 

 throat, but some males, in spring, have the chestnut reduced to a mere 

 trace. 



The same variations are seen in the females, some of whom have a 

 small black spot on the breast, and more rarely a large definite shield, 

 but these latter appear to be very old birds. Some without black on the 

 throat are quite yellow below ; some have well defined chestnut on the 

 wings, while in others it is entirely wanting. In fact, no description 

 can be framed which would accord with every variation, or separate the 

 sexes. 



The Black-throated Bunting, or Little Field Lark, as it is commonly 

 called, to distinguish it from the Meadow Lark, usually arrives in the 

 vicinity of Columbus during the first week in May. Sometimes a few 



