214 LAND-BIRDS. 



B. LINCOLNII. Lincoln^n J'liich. /y'iiico/ii'n f^/xrrroir. 

 Of great rarity in Massachusotts, occurring :ih a Humnmr resi- 

 dent.* 



a, 5| inches long. Below, white ; dusky-strcalu^d, oxcH'pt 

 on the belly. Breast hand (and sidc-nbading), hririindHh 

 ijeUoy\ Above, grayish brown ; crown and baclt, Hlrcalced 

 with blackish, brownish, and jmler; tail, scarcely niark(;d. 

 Wings, with some bay and white. [Abridged I'roni Couch. j 



h. The nests hitherto found have all b(^en placed u])on ilio 

 ground. An egg in my collection im^asures idjout .75 X S^^i 

 of an inch, and is light green, finely blotcluMl all over with 

 a medium brown, which is purple - tinged. Dr. Browi^f de- 

 scribes others, having " a pale greenish white ground," " thickly 

 marked with dots and small blotches of -a furruginoun biown," 

 etc. 



c. The Lincoln's Finches are very rare in MassaelniKctts, a 

 few specimens only having been hitherto obtained in this State. 

 Their summer habitat is an extensive one, — "the United 

 States from Atlantic to Pacifi<'," — including the north, I'oi- 

 they were "first met with by Mr. Audub(m in Labrador." 

 As I have seen them but once, my bricsf description of their 

 habits is gathered from Dr. Brewer's iw^count of tlicin."'' 

 The Lincoln's Finch is allied in habits to the Song Sparrow, 

 singing "for whole hours at a time " from th<5 top of some 

 shrub, often diving into thickets, and, whc^n frighten(^d, flying 

 " low and rapidly to a considerable distance " (as the Song 

 Sparrow does not) " jerking its tail as it proceeds, and throw- 

 ing itself into the thicki^st bush it meets." Audubon found 

 the Lincoln's Sparrows chiefly near streams ; and apparc^utly 

 these birds are often gregarious, at least during the migra- 

 tions. 



* Lincoln's Spairow is now known bridgo, and in tljo coiiraii of n, siniflo 



to occur very n^fjiihirly during Um morniiit,'- 1 have stjirtcd adozen or tnon^ 



sinlnff and autumn nii(,Tations al, many birds from a Hintflu (iuld al, Laltc TTiii- 



localitius in both norlhurn and south- bagoj;. Il, Ijan nol- a« yiit Viwm fouiid 



em Now EnglaTid. It is, while with breiiding in Now England, Imt its Jiost, 



us, a silent, riitiring bird, («iHily over- has boon taken in the Adirotidac.liH, 



looked, and hence by many collectors it — W. I!. 



is considered a prize of considerablM *" My biography of this species was 



rarity. But at the |irrjpor seasons it writtiiri bcl'oi'e I hiul access to the works 



is often not imcommon about. f!am- of Audubon, 



