OF VIRGINIA yao 
In 1910 a small colony of these birds, numbering about 
ten pair, were found during the early breeding period in 
Princess Anne County, but although a diligent search 
was made by Mr. J. E. Gould and myself, no nests with 
eges were discovered. This was on June 3rd. A partly 
finished nest was, however, discovered, and the birds were 
all paired off. My attention was called to this colony 
by Ma, .A. H. Helme, who noticed birds apparently ready 
to breed the latter part of May, the previous season. 
This is the only colony I know of within Tidewater, thus 
extending the breeding range given in the latest A. O. U. 
check list to northern and southeastern Virginia. Their 
song resembles somewhat that of the Grasshopper 
Sparrow, though much shorter, and their flight and habits 
closely resemble that bird. As many of this species winter 
with us, it is not improbable that this colony mentioned, 
found conditions and climate most favorable, and 
remained over instead of migrating further north. The 
land was low and wet, covered with broom straw and 
scattering scrub bushes, corresponding to breeding placcs 
of this species elsewhere. The nest is a well-concealed, 
though loosely made structure of grasses, lined with finer 
grass, placed in a depression in the ground. A full set 
of eggs numbers four, a grayish-white, finely specked and 
spotted with reddish-brown. Size, .73x.55. As 1911 was 
rather a backward season, this colony probably was 
influenced by it, and should have eggs by June 5th, jude- 
ing by the breeding dates of those further northward. 
Further notes on this colony I hope to furnish later. Their 
food consists of insects and seeds similar to the preceding 
species. 
Since the above was written, Mr. Gould took a set of 
three eggs, incubated, May 30th, 1913, other nests just 
commenced. 
