AVERY BIRD COLLECTION 81 



embryonic ornithologists with members of the sparrow 

 family. His journal records of his first specimens are 

 quite interesting and are given here practically in toto. 

 The first, an adult male (No. 16, old series) was taken 

 June 9, 1876, at Greensboro, and presented to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. After recording the measurements, 

 color of feet and bill, and the fact that the stomach con- 

 tained insects, the Doctor writes: "This is a most in- 

 teresting specimen to me. I think I recognize in his sum- 

 mer dress an old acquaintance; voice, manners, dress all 

 completely changed. It must be the sparrow that sings 

 so sweetly in the hedges and in the foliage of evergreens 

 in winter. It is possible that this bird spends. his sum- 

 mers here and I had never found it out. Go to Wash- 

 ington little fellow. Professor Baird can tell all about 

 you." 



A few days later, June 17th, he records an adult female 

 (No. 21, old series) and writes : "This sparrow the same 

 with No. 16, presented to the Smithsonian Institution, 

 resembles most nearly Passercvlvs savanna,, the savanna 

 sparrow (Genus 65 of Coues' 'Key to North American 

 Birds'). My specimens differ, however, though not es- 

 sentially, from the sparrow described in the 'key' as the 

 savanna sparrow. The markings about the breast of 

 mine are not the same. 



"'How little we use our eyes is proven to me by the 

 ■discovery of this sparrow, which I have always taken 

 for the chipping Sparrow and should always have done 

 so, if I had not heard his curious insect-like, hardly dis- 

 tinguishable from a cricket's, song. If this is the sa- 

 vanna sparrow he is completely metamorphosed, and close 

 inspection could alone discover the resemblance to that 

 bird. The savanna sparrow has in winter a whistle 

 something like the words 'see ! see ! see !' much prolonged. 

 Everyone is acquainted with him, who takes notice of 

 anything. Even the flight of my bird is not like that of 

 the savanna sparrow. He flies like a wounded bird es- 

 pecially just before he lights, not with the usual irregular 

 flight of the sparrow, up and down, this side and that 

 side. This however is nothing unusual in the breeding 



