240 Bird Studies. 



Its characteristics are a deep chestnut crown divided by a white median 

 stripe, and bordered by a similar streak over the eye. There is a black line 

 in front of the eye reaching to the base of the bill, and extending a short dis- 

 tance back of the eye. The region about the ears is deep chestnut, and that 

 immediately below the eye whitish. Below this is a defined white stripe 

 reaching from the bill to back of the ear patch, and this is divided from the 

 throat by a clear black line becoming an undefined patch on the sides of the 

 neck. The rest of the upper plumage is grayish brown, streaked with dusky 

 on the back. The tail and wings are dusky, the outer tail feathers are tipped 

 with white. The entire under parts are white with a small distinct black 

 spot on the breast. 



The birds nest generally on the ground, but frequently in low bushes. 

 The nest is built of coarse grass, lined with finer grass, fine root stems, and 

 horse hairs. The eggs vary in number from three to five and are white, 

 marked in an irregular way with spots and blotches of shades of dark brown 

 or black. They are about four fifths of an inch long and three fifths of an 

 inch in their other diameter. 



This group of Sparrows are small in size, and of rather robust build. They 

 frequent grass 'fields and prairies, and assimilate in color so closely with their 

 environment, that this factor, together with their skulking, secretive habits, 

 leads to their often being overlooked where they are not uncommon. One 

 rarely sees any of these birds alighted, and like some of the game birds and 

 rails, they lie so close in the long grass that it is often very difficult to flush 

 them. Even when flushed the momentary glance one gets is unsatisfactory 

 and fails to identify the bird save to the experienced observer. 



The more common of the trio in the fields of the Atlantic seaboard is 



the Yellow-winged or Grasshopper Sparrow, and this is also a somewhat 



larger bird than the other two. The prevailing color of 



Sparrow. ^^'^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^S^^ ^"^- ^^^ crown is dusky, divided by a 

 Ammodramus savannarum Central line of ashy buff and bounded by a stripe above 



passerinus (Wils.). i r • •! 1 t^i . . , , 



the eye of similar color. The region in front of iAe eye 

 is brownish orange. The feathers of the rest of the upper parts are dusky 

 reddish brown or black, bordered and margined clearly with ashy or buff, the 

 reddish brown ones prevailing on the nape and rump, the dusky and black 

 ones on the back. The wings and tail are dusky, the latter composed of 

 narrow pointed feathers of about equal length. The bend of the wing is 



