IPSWICH SPARROW. 59 



IPSWICH SPARROW. 



{AviTriodramns princeps. ) 



The Ipswich sparrow, a coinijaratively new bird to science, was dis- 

 covered by Mr. C. J. Maynard among the sand hills of Ipswich, Mass., 

 in 1868. Its breeding place was not known nntil 1884, and its breed- 

 ing range was fully established only a few years ago. In 1894 Dr. 

 Jonathan Dwight, jr., discovered that it breeds only on Sable Island, 

 a small sandy islet about 100 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. In 

 winter it migrates to the mainland and may be found along the coast 

 south to New Jersey and as an accidental visitant as far as Georgia. 

 The bird is likely to be confused with its congener, the savanna spar- 

 row, and with the vesper sparrow, but it is lighter and larger than the 

 former, and in flight may be readily distinguished from the latter by 

 the absence of white in its outspread tail. It is a very rare bird, and 

 this fact, added to its exceedingl}^ limited range, prevents it from 

 having an}' appreciable economic importance. 



The notes on its food habits, contained in Dr. Dwight's comi)re- 

 hensive monograph,^ are based on the examination of 56 stomachs, 

 which he collected both in winter and summer and submitted for 

 examination to Prof. F. E. L.Beal. It was found that in summer four- 

 fifths of the food consists of animal matter, while in winter more than 

 four-fifths is vegetable matter. A great deal of mineral matter is 

 also taken into the stomach. It is a curious fact that one-third of 

 the contents of winter stomachs was found to be sand. The vege- 

 table food comprises seeds and berries. Grass seed, particularly in 

 winter, forms the staple diet, the little round red seeds of Eragrostis 

 being very often selected. Lamb's-quarters, different polygonums, 

 and dock are also taken, and one stomach collected on the sand hills 

 of Rockaway Beach, Long Island, on December 17, contained several 

 kernels of rye. The fruit element consists of bayberries, blueberries, 

 and bunchberries. 



The animal food is made up of beetles, wasp-like insects, bugs, cat- 

 erpillars, flies, spiders, and snails. In June the most common article 

 [of diet is the little dung-beetle [Apliodius fimetarius). Tiger-beetles 

 'are also eaten, a rather unusual element of sjDarrow fare, but due, 

 X)robably, to the abundance of these active insects upon the sand dunes 

 which the bird frequents. 



SAVANNA SPARROW. 



{Am7n<)(lraiuifs saudivichensis savanna aud Aim nod ramus .s, alaudinus.) 



The savanna sparrow, as just stated, resembles the Ipswich spar- 

 [row. There is also some danger of confusing it with the song sparrow, 

 !to which it is similar in genei-al appearance; but it lacks the black 

 ibreast patch which is usually so conspicuous in the latter, and has 



' Memoirs Nuttall Ornitholot^ical Club, No. II, pp. 41, 42, 1895. 



