LAND BIRDS. 525 
noted the species only three times, April 16, 1889, April 18, 1891 and April 
19, 1902. At Lansing the bird occurs in small numbers pretty regularly 
about the middle of April, and is seen again during October and November, 
Mr. Hankinson recording the last one in 1896 on November 7. 
While with us it frequents the borders of woods and fields, as well as 
the deep woods, but it spends almost all its time on the ground, where it 
scratches continually 
among the leaves and 
rubbish, often making 
noise enough to be heard 
atalong distance. Some- 
times it appears in flocks 
of fifty or more but more 
often in twos and threes, 
or little squads of about 
adozen. Not infre- 
quently it associates with 
Junecos, Tree Sparrows 
and other sparrows. 
Ordinarily it has only 
a sharp chip, but oceas- 
ionally it gives snatches 
of a beautiful song. In 
its summer home it 
sings magnificently, and 
on rare occasions the 
greater part of its full 
song may be heard dur- 
ing the last of its stay 
with us. Mr. C. J. 
Maynard, describing its habits on the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of the 
St. Lawrence, says: “Its magnificent song filled the clear still air with 
melody. These fine strains consist at first of three clear rather rapid 
notes, given with increasing emphasis, then a short pause ensues, and the 
remainder of the lay is poured forth more deliberately, terminating with 
a well rounded note giving a finish to a sweet song, which for sweetness 
and clearness of tone is seldom surpassed even by our best performers.” 
There is no nesting record for the United States, but it breeds abundantly 
in most of British North America from New Brunswick and Manitoba 
northward. The nest is placed in low bushes, or on the ground, is very 
bulky, made of grasses, moss, feathers, etec., and the eggs are from three 
to five, but usually four. These are pale bluish-green to light brown, 
heavily spotted and blotched with darker brown, and average .91 by .65 
inches. , 
Spending only the colder portion of the year with us, the food of the 
Fox Sparrow consists of a larger proportion of seeds and a smaller amount of 
insect matter than in the case of our more familiar sparrows. Doubtless it 
confers decided benefits on the farmer through the consumption of weed 
seed, and that it occasionally does valuable work as an insect eater is shown 
by the fact that a specimen examined by Prof. F. H. King in Wisconsin 
had eaten 50 chinch-bugs. 
Fig. 119. Fox Sparrow. 
Photograph from mounted specimen. (Original.) 
