60 BIRDS OP ILLINOIS. 



white, only the abdomen and throat Immaculate; lores, cheeks, malar region, aurioulars, 

 and neck (all round), sti eaked with dusky ; breast, sides, and flanks, barred or transversely 

 spotted with dusky," the hars more sagittate on the crissum. Winter plumage.: Above, 

 rather light ash-gray, without the black, but with the white spotting of the summer dress; 

 foreneokand jugulummore narrowly streaked; breast nearly or quite immaculate, and 

 sides and flanks faintly and irregularly marked with grayish. Young, first plwmage: Simi- 

 lar to the winter dress, but darker and more brownish above, the white spotting tinged with 

 light brownish buff; lower parts as in \Tinter adult. Bill black; iris brown; legs and feet 

 deep yellow (tinged with olive In young). 



Total length, ibout 14 inches; wing, 7.50-7.75; culmen, 2.20-2.30; tarsus, 2.5(^-2.75; middle 

 toe, 1.35-1.50. 



"A common migrant and regular summer resident. Breeds. 

 Arrives about the middle of April, the larger portion passing 

 north early in May. Returns September first, and remains until 

 the last of October, In June, 1875, I found several pairs of 

 these birds about the Calumet Marshes, where, from their ac- 

 tions, I was certain they were breeding, but was not fortunate 

 enough to find their nests. The 10th of June, 1876, Mr. Rice 

 observed a pair about a prairie slough, near Evanston. A few 

 days later a set of foiir eggs were brought him from a similar 

 situation a few miles northwest of that place, and from the 

 description of the parent bird — driven from the nest — he decided 

 they must belong to this species. I perfectly agree with Mr. 

 Rice's decision, for the prominent characteristics noticed by the 

 collector are obviously applicable to this bird. 



"The nest was situated in a sHght depression at the base of 

 a small' hillock near the border of a prairie slough, and was 

 composed of grass stems and blades. The eggs measure respect; 

 ively 1.70x1.30; 1.72x1.31; 1.74x1.32; 1.80x1.38 inches. The' 

 ground color is a deep gi-ayish white, marked on three eggs with 

 spots of dark brown, and on the other egg with spots and 

 well-defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same. 

 In addition there are shell markings and obscure spots of lilac. 

 The markings are disposed quite abundantly over the surface 

 of the egg, but arc more numerous about the larger end." 

 (Nelson, Bull Ess^x Inst. YIII., 1876, pp. 128, 129.) 



