82 Bulletin of the 



BREEDING OF THE SWAMP SPARROW AT THE ST. CLAIR FLATS. 



It is always a pleasure to add to the avi-fauna of a region which is com- 

 paratively well known. It was with the hope of adding Ammodramus 

 henslowi to the list of breeding birds of the American portion of the St. 

 Clair Flats that Mr. Frederick C. Hubel and myself took a trip to the marshes 

 situated in about the center of Big Mu>camoot Bay on June 16th, 1903. 



We observed no Henslow's, but early in the afternoon we flushed a small 

 sparrow from her nest and four eggs in the tall thick grass. As it was about 

 to rain darkness prevented us from getting a good sight of the bird, and the 

 cries of a hundred, or more, Black Terns prevented us from hearing any notes 



which the bird might have uttered. 



Notwithstanding our lack of proper identification, we returned home 

 with the find. Upon showing them to Mr. J. Claire Wood he at once pro- 

 nounced them the eggs of the Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza gcorgiana) . I 

 later sent the nest and three eggs (one egg broken while blowing) to Mr. 

 Wm. E. Saunders, of London, Out., who answered as follows : ''Replying 

 further to yours of June 23rd, I have studied the eggs you sent and have 

 reached a surprising but well defined conclusion. They are Swamp Spar- 

 rows' ! The color agrees in every respect with some in my collection, so does 

 size — yours run 81 x 56, 79 x 58, 82 x 61. One of mine in a set all alike is 

 80 x 57 (Sarnia, June 8, 1892.) 



"Savannahs are about the same size, but they don't get the dirty-brownish 

 blotches with washed edges that the Swamp have, and mine are all in uniform 

 sets, while the Swamp often has an egg with the greenish ground of yours. 

 Henslow's 1 haven't — except the birds. Davie gives the size of the Henslow eggs 

 as 75 x 57, but Leconte's, which is the same sized bird, lays an egg 65 x 50 

 (by the same author.) The Grasshopper, which lays a large egg for its size. 

 and is more nearly the size of the Savannah, is stated as 73 x 56. So it's 

 likely the size of Henslow is an error and 65 x 50 is near it. Of course you 

 know that sparrows eggs can't be identified with certainty, but I am nearly 

 sure of these." The conclusion reached by Messrs. Saunders and Wood 

 seems of sufficient evidence to me to admit the Swamp Sparrow as a breeding 

 bird at the St. Clair Flats. 



Detroit. Mich. Alexander W. Blain, Jr. 



AN ALBINO GRACKLE AT PLYMOUTH. 



On the 1 8th of July, 1902, Harry E. Purdy shot an albino crow-black- 

 bird or Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula aeneus) at this place. Its plumage was 

 not pure white, but shaded very slightly into slate color. The feet, legs and 

 mandibles were pure white. It was a young-of-year bird in its first plumage, 

 and I think that if it had lived to receive its adult plumage it would have 

 been pure white. This specimen was mounted and is now in my collection. 



Plymouth. Mich. James B. Purdy. 



CHIMNEY SWIFTS NESTING IN BARNS. 



Much interest has been manifested of late by contributors of various 

 bird magazines, chiefly Bird-Lore and the Oologist regarding the nesting of 

 Chaetura pclagica in barns and locations other than chimneys. 



I have found them breeding quite common on the inner walls of barns in 

 St. Clair County, Michigan. I know of four barns within a radius of a 



