Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 603 



white, streaked with black; sides of throat and breast, tawny buff, 

 with narrow black streaks ; sides of body pale, brownish buff, streaked 

 with black ; belly, white. The amount of buff and white on the 

 under parts is variable, but the tawny buff pectoral band is a good 

 diagnostic character. 



Sexes similar. 



Length, 5.70; wing, 2.50; tail, 2.45; bill, .37. 



Lincoln's Sparrow is a not uncommon migrant in parts of Illinois 

 and Wisconsin, and a winter resident in southern Illinois. It is an 

 occasional summer resident in northern Illinois and Wisconsin, and 

 has been known to breed. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson writes: "Common during the migrations from 

 May 8 to 20 and Sept. 20 to Oct. 15th. Have seen several speci- 

 mens during the breeding season, and the last of May, 1875, as I was 

 walking through a patch of weeds, a female started from a few feet 

 in advance of me, while my attention was attracted in another di- 

 rection and ran off with half-spread wings. It was shot and showed 

 unmistakable signs of incubation, but a protracted search failed to 

 reveal the nest. Specimens were taken in July, 1875, near Waukegan 

 by Mr. Rice." (Birds of N. E. 111., 1876, p. 109.) 



Mr. Ridgway states: "Instead of being the rare bird that it is 

 commonly supposed to be, Lincoln's Sparrow is at times almost as 

 numerous as the Swamp Sparrow; and the fact that it associates 

 freely with the latter species, which it closely resembles in habits 

 and general appearance, may in a measure account for its supposed 

 scarcity. In the southern part of the State a greater or less number 

 usually pass the winter in company with M. georgiana, in the dense 

 brushwood and rank dead herbage of swamps and niarshes, in the 

 bottom lands." (Orn. of 111., 1889, p. 285.) 



Mr. Frank M. Woodruff says: "A rare summer resident and a not 

 uncommon spring and fall migrant. Mr. Geo. K. Cherrie obtained 

 a young bird just out of the nest at Worth, Illinois, on June 30, 1896, 

 and on July 16, 1896, Mr. Cherrie and Mr. J. Grafton Parker, Jr., 

 obtained an adult and a nestling near Lake Calumet." (Birds of 

 the Chicago Area, 1907, p. 143). 



Cook (Bird Migration Miss. Valley, 1888, p. 209) states: "Breeds 

 but sparingly in the United States. For a long time Racine, Wis., 

 was the southernmost point at which it was known to nest, but 

 recently nests have been found in northern Illinois." 



In Wisconsin Dr. Hoy found it nesting near Racine (1852). 

 Kumlien & HoUister write: "A somewhat irregularly distributed 

 species, even during the migrations. Nowhere very abundant, but 



