304 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



During the months of August and September, 

 in conjunction with the above insects, the seeds of 

 various species of grasses, weeds, and berries, 

 occasionally, are greedily devoured. Prominent 

 among these are the seeds of Amarantus albus, 

 A. panicnlatus, Amb,'osia artentisieefolia, Chenopo- 

 dium album, Raphanus sativus, Panicum Crus- 

 galli, Phleum prcetense, yuniperus Virginiana, &c. 



In the autumn these Sparows are gregarious, 

 and as early in the. season, confine themselves to 

 cultivated fields and occupied grounds. These 

 flocks are ordinarily small, and, doubdess, consist 

 of members of one family. Their migration for 

 the South depends in a great measure upon 

 climatic influences, and ordinarily happens early in 

 October. 



The eggs of this species are oblong-oval, bluish- 

 green, and spotted slighdy about the larger end 

 with umber and dark brown markings. They 

 average .72 of an inch in length and .54 in breadth. 



Spisella pusilla, Bonap. 



The Field Sparrow arrives in Eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania usually from the first to the tenth of April, 

 and is found chiefly in open pastures, old fields, 

 clearings remote from villages, and occasionally 

 in cultivated grounds about our buildings, where 

 it becomes quite tame and unsuspicious. In open 

 grounds it manifests no litde shyness. It congre- 

 gates in small flocks for a short time after its 

 arrival, and also in the autumn before it takes its 

 departure, 



