492 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
ably in wet places), and when flushed flying rapidly and often in a zigzag 
manner, and dropping suddenly out of sight to run rapidly away again. 
There may be scores of the birds scattered through a meadow, yet the 
inexperienced collector will find but two or three. When nesting begins 
the male sings rather constantly and is often seen to perch on a low bush, 
a fence, or even a tree, and repeat his song at intervals of a few seconds 
for half an hour at a time. But the song itself is so feeble and so devoid 
of striking characters that it is not likely to attract attention. 
The nest is doubtless variable in composition and location, but, from the 
fact that while with us the birds are found almost invariably in damp 
situations, we should expect the nest to be placed in low grounds, or at 
least very close to them, and this is the case in the few instances known to 
us. It is usually described as sunken to the rim in the ground, made of a 
few grasses and weed stems, and often completely hidden. The eggs are 
four or five, bluish-white, spotted with reddish brown, usually quite thickly. 
They average .78 by .56 inches. 
From the early arrival of this species and the fact that Mr. Hankinson 
found a nest with young near the College, June 21, 1897, it seems likely 
that, like most other sparrows, it rears two broods; yet the fact that the 
male does not appear to sing after midsummer may indicate that a second 
nest is not a regular thing. 
The food does not differ materially from that of other ground sparrows 
so far as we know. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Outer tail-feathers longer than the middle ones. 
Adult (sexes alike): Upper parts grayish or brownish-gray, thickly streaked with 
dark brown or black, the streaks on either side of crown so close together as to appear 
almost solid black and always leaving a distinct median stripe of grayish; a distinct yellow 
stripe from nostril over eye and backward, and a whitish stripe from base of lower mandible, 
bounded below by a dark line along the side of throat, and above by a similar line skirting 
the ear-coverts; chin and throat white or whitish, faintly or not at all spotted; chest and 
sides boldly streaked with brown or black; lower breast, belly and under tail-coverts white 
and unspotted; wings and tail blackish, all the feathers with narrow edgings of whitish 
on the outer webs; the bend of the wing distinctly yellowish. About one specimen in three 
has the chest streaks somewhat crowded together so as to form an indistinct spot. Autumn 
specimens are decidedly more brownish above, the sides of the head more buffy and fre- 
quently washed with pale yellow, while the tertiaries are broadly edged with buft or brown 
and sometimes the secondaries also; upper mandible dusky, lower yellowish; iris brown. 
Young birds are similar to adults, but usually browner, the markings not so sharp and 
distinct, and ordinarily without the yellow stripe over the eye. 
Length 4.85 to 5.50 inches; wing 2.60 to 2.90; tail 1.90 to 2.20; culmen .38 to .43. 
222. Grasshopper Sparrow. Ammodramus savannarum australis Maynard. 
(546) 
Synonyms: Yellow-winged Sparrow.—Ammodromus australis, Maynard, 1887.—Frin- 
gilla passerina, Wilson, Bonap., Aud.—Coturniculus passerinus, Baird, Sclater, Allen, 
Coues, ete.—Ammodramus savannarum passerinus, Ridgw., 1885, A. O. U. Check-list, 
1886, and most recent authors. 
Streaked above but plain below, the edge of the wing bright yellow, 
and usually a distinct yellowish spot just in front of and above the eye. 
Distribution.—EHastern United States and southern Canada, west to the 
Plains, south in winter to Florida, Cuba, Porto Rico and coast of Central 
America. 
This little sparrow appears to be restricted to the southern half of the 
