406 NESTS AND EGffS OF 



of 1877. One of the nests, found early in May, was in a bush about three feet from 

 the ground; it was not pensile; placed between three upright twigs, composed en- 

 tirely of a peculiar yellow root. This was destroyed by a violent storm before the 

 eggs were deposited. A second nest found May 25, placed in a young ebony-bush, 

 four feet from the ground, was deserted immediately after completion. It was a 

 delicate structure supported at the rim and beneath by twigs, and built of very fine, 

 dry grass, with a few horse hairs. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a nest and four eggs of 

 . this subspecies collected by Frank B. Armstrong near Brownsville, Cameron county, 

 Texas, May 7, 1892. The bird was shot and identification made sure. The nest was 

 placed in a small tree, six feet above the ground in open woods. It is composed of 

 fine fibres of wiry grass, loosely interwoven, the material for the lining being of the 

 same kind, but finer. The eggs have a ground color of bluish green and the maxkingg 

 are distributed quite evenly over the entire surface; they consist of sjwts and blotches 

 of brown and lavender with under shell markings of a pale shade, and numerous 

 surface spots of a rich dark purplish brown. The sizes of the four eggs are as follows: 

 .67X.48, .63X.48, .64x.49, .68x.49 inches respectively. 



[603.] GBASSQtriT. Euetheia Uclor (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Cuba. Accidental 

 in Southern Florida (Sombrero Key). 



This species is a resident of the Island of Cuba and has been found on Sombrero 

 Key, Florida. Its nests and eggs are described as being similar io those of E. bicolor. 



[603. 1.] MELODIOUS GRASSQXJIT. Euetheia canora (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— * 

 Accidental or casual in Southern Florida. 



This is the Black-faced Grassquit which is common in various islands of the 

 Bahama group. It appears to be accidental in Florida. Said to construct a large 

 dome-shaped nest with a lateral entrance. It is built in bushes and low shrubbery. 

 Eggs three to five, white or greenish-white, speckled with reddish-brown; average 

 size .65X.50 inches. 



604. DICKCISSEL. Spina americana (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern United 

 States (chiefiy west of the Alleghanies) to the Rocky Mountains, north to Massa- 

 chusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc., south in winter to Northern South 

 America. 



Known as the Black-throated Bunting, "Little Field Lark," and "Judas-bird." 

 In general appearance it loks like the European House Sparrow, P. domesticus, av- 

 eraging a trifle larger. The favorite resorts of the Black-throated Bunting are 

 pastures with a sparse growth of stunted bushes, and clover fields. In these places 

 its unmusical, monotonous song may be heard throughout the day during the breed- 

 ing season. Its song is uttered from a tall weed, stump or fence-stake and is a very 

 pleasing ditty when its sound is heard coming far over grain fields and meadows in 

 the blaze of the noon-day sun, when all is hushed and most other birds have retired 

 to shadier places. The nest of the Black-throated Bunting is built on the ground, 

 in trees and in bushes. In Central Ohio I have never found the nest in any other 

 position than on the ground under the shelter of a tuft of grass or bush. In Western 

 Illinois, Mr. Poling states that they are placed in the tall grass or in clover fields. 

 Mr. L. Jones informs me that in Iowa the nest may be found almost anywhere, not 

 above twenty feet in trees and bushes, or on the ground in prairie lands. Nesting 

 is begun in May, and the second nests are built in July or August. The materials 

 are leaves, grasses, rootlets, corn husks and weed stems; the lining is of fine grasses^ 



