134 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION' 



usually sings while perched on a twig, it occasionally sings 



a new and varied song while on the wing. 



Length, 61-; wing, 2 1 

 (23-2|) ; tail, 2| ; tar- 

 sus, |; oulmeu, J. North 

 America from the 

 Plains eastward ; breed- 

 ing from Virginia north- 

 ward, and wintering 

 throughout the eastern 

 United States. 



39. Lincoln's Spar- 

 row (583. Melosplza 

 lincdlnii). — A buffy- 

 breasted, white-bel- 

 lied, streaky, brown- 

 ish-backed sparrow, 

 with the throat 

 white like the belly. 

 The whole bird, ex- 

 cept the middle of 

 the belly, is sharply 

 streaked. The 



creamy buff on the breast forms a band across it. This is 



a western bird of shy habits, rarely seen east of the Alle- 



ghanies. It is a singer of 



no great power, and of 



rather strange notes for a 



sparrow. 



Length, 5|; wing, 2\ (2^- 

 2j); tail, 21; tarsus, \; oul- 

 men, ;. North America; breed- 

 ins rliiefly north of the United 

 States, and wintering south of 

 it. 



40. Swamp Sparrow (584. 

 Melo.yiiza georgid,na). — A 



common swamp or meadow- Lincoln's Sparrow 



Song Sparrow 



