LAND BIRDS. 523 
is doubtless much more common all over the state than is generally 
supposed. 
_ The nest, which is much like that of the Song Sparrow, is placed usually 
in a tuft or tussock of grass rising directly from the water. Possibly it 
is sometimes placed in a dry situation, but we have never seen one where 
the water was not at least ankle-deep. The eggs are three to five, similar 
to those of the Song Sparrow, but usually with greener or bluer ground 
see and the markings coarser and scantier. They average .76 by .56 
inches. 
Descriptions of the song vary much. Hoffmann says “It is simple but 
musical, as if a Chipping Sparrow were singing in the marshes an un- 
usually sweet song. The call-note is a metallic chink.” Bicknell says 
“In the spring and summer the song is a simple monotone; in the autumn 
this is often varied and extended with accessory notes. A few preliminary 
chirps merging into a fine trill introduce the run of notes which constitutes 
the usual song, which now terminates with a few slower somewhat liquid 
notes.” Seton Thompson says “The commonest song is a simple rapid 
twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, twet, all in the 
same note and so rapidly as to be almost a twitter. This is uttered at 
intervals from some dead branch projecting above the rest of the copse. 
If not disturbed the singer will sit quietly on this branch for an hour, 
repeating his ditty once or twice a minute.” 
In our own experience the song merely suggests that of the Chipping 
Sparrow, but the notes are less rapid, far sweeter, and have a distinct 
metallic or bell-like tone which suggests the ring of cut glass. When 
heard in the dusk of evening it certainly is one of the sweetest sparrow songs 
which we can recall. 
The food appears to consist largely of seeds of sedges, grasses and weeds, 
varied to a considerable extent with insects; these, however, are probably 
of little account to the agriculturist owing to the swampy nature of the 
habitat. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult (sexes alike): Crown bright chestnut, the forehead clear black and often a few 
black streaks running back into the chestnut of the crown; most of the rest of upper parts 
reddish-brown, boldly streaked with black on the middle back and scapulars, and more 
narrowly on the upper tail-coverts and rump; a more or less perfect collar of ash-gray on 
the back of neck, sometimes clear but more often streaked with blackish; a conspicuous 
ash-gray stripe over the eye, beginning at the nostril, bounded below by a black postocular 
stripe; a blackish line from corner of mouth along under margin of ear-coverts, and a 
similar line from base of lower mandible along side of throat, these two enclosing a lighter 
stripe which is gray or buffy according to season; throat and belly whitish or pale gray, 
the chest and sides darker gray, usually tinged with brown on sides and flanks, but without 
spots or streaks; outer webs of most of the primaries, secondaries, and middle and greater 
wing-coverts, bright chestnut; the tertiaries mainly deep black, edged externally with 
chestnut which whitens toward the tips; bill blackish above, brownish yellow below; iris 
Pe cs and in immature birds the crown is commonly streaked with chestnut and 
black, with a more or less conspicuous median stripe of gray, and the chest and sides are 
distinctly brownish, with some indistinct dusky streaks. Very young birds are similar, 
but much more distinctly streaked with blackish below, often on throat and belly as well 
as on breast and sides. ’ 
Length 5.25 to 6 inches; wing 2.30 to 2.50; tail 2.40 to 2.70. 
