326 SINGING BIRDS. 



pleasant notes somewhat similar to the song of the Song Spar- 

 row, but sufficiently distinct. 



The Savanna Sparrow breeds more abundantly along the coast 

 of Massachusetts than in the interior, and perhaps this may apply 

 to all localities ; but the opinion expressed by many writers that it 

 is almost exclusively a bird of the sea-shore — of the salt-marshes 

 — is far from correct. I traced it up the valley of the St. John as far 

 as there were cleared fields or marshy meadows, and in no locality 

 was it more abundant than at Fort Kent, — the most northern point 

 of Maine. It occurs throughout the southern portions of Canada. 



These birds are rarely seen off the ground ; an occasional perch 

 on a stone heap or a fence being the only deviation from this rule. 



IPSWICH SPARROW. 



Ammodramus peinceps. 



Char. General appearance of a large pale Savanna Sparrow. Above, 

 grayish brown, each feather streaked with black, rufous, and gray ; crown 

 stripe dull buff or buffy white ; stripe over eyes similar but paler ; wings 

 blackish brown, edged with buff ; tail grayish brown tipped with white ; 

 beneath, dull white tinged with buff ; chest and sides streaked with brown. 

 Length 6 to 6^ inches. 



Nest. In a cup-shaped hollow scratched in the sand and concealed by 

 a tussock of grass or a low bush ; made of grass compactly woven, with 

 an outer shell of coarser material and lined with fine grass. 



Eggs. 4-5 ; bluish or grayish white thickly marked with deep brown 

 of several shades and some spots of purplish and grayish brown ; 

 0.61 X 0.85. 



This interesting bird was first described by Mr. C. J. Maynard 

 from a specimen taken by him at Ipswich, Mass., in 1868. For 

 two years the type remained unique, and for several years later the 

 species was supposed to be rare. It has since been found all along 

 the Atlantic coast from Georgia to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It 

 usually frequents the sea-shore or salt-meadows near by, though 

 Mr. N. C. Brown reports that he has seen it at Lake Umbagog, in 

 the interior of Maine. I met with it in New Brunswick only for a 

 few days during the second week of April, 1883. When feeding 

 on the sandy shore (the snow still covered the fields), in company 

 with other Sparrows, it was not difficult to distinguish the Ipswich 

 from their congeners, but it is difficult to define the distinguishing 

 characteristics, 



