BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 189 



edge of the wing, yellow ; a yellowish-white maxillary stripe curving behind the 

 ear coverts, and margined above and below by brown ; the lower margin is a series 

 of thickly crowded spots on the sides of the throat, which are also found on the sides 

 of the neck, across the upper part of the breast, and on the sides of the body ; a few 

 spots on the throat and chin; rest of under parts Avhite ; tarsus flesh color; feet 

 brown ; iris dark brown. Length about 5.25 inches ; extent about 8.75. 



ffab. Eastern Province of North America, breeding from the northern United 

 States to Labrador and Hudson's Bay Territory. 



The Savanna Sparrow is a moderately abundant spring and fall 

 migrant in eastern Pennsylvania. During mild winters it is not un- 

 usual to find this species in the southern portions of this State ; or- 

 dinarily, however, these birds arrive in Pennsylvania about April 1, 

 and in pairs or parties of five or six, may be found frequenting 

 chiefly low, damp ground in open fields (along fences), meadows, and 

 the borders of grassy ponds and pools. I have never observed this 

 sparrow, in the spring, later than April 25. This bird is seldom seen 

 to perch on trees or bushes, sometimes, though not often, he may be 

 observed to alight on the lowermost rails of fences. When passing 

 southward the Savanna Sparrows make their appearance in this local- 

 ity about the middle of September. Their food consists principally 

 of different kinds of small seeds, also small beetles, grasshoppers, 

 spiders, ants and small mollusks. 



546. Ammodramus savannarum passerinus (WiLS.). 



Grasshopper Sparrow; Yellow-winged Sparrow. 



DESCRIPTION. (Plate 32, Fig. 3, male.) 



Bill stout ; legs flesh color ; iris brown ; tail double-rounded. Above brownish- 

 rufous, margined narrowly and abruptly with ash color ; reddest on lower part of 

 back and rump ; the feathers all abruptly black in the central portion ; this color 

 visible on the interscapular region, where the rufous is more restricted ; crown black- 

 ish, with a central and superciliary stripe of yellowish tinged with brown, brightest 

 in front of the eye; bend of the wing bright yellow; lesser coverts tinged with 

 greenish-yellow ; quills and tail feathers edged with whitish ; tertiaries much varie. 

 gated ; lower parts brownish-yellow ; belly white or nearly so ; feathers of upper 

 breast and sides of body with absolutely darker centers. 



Young. Very similar to adult ; upper part of breast streaked with dark brown, 

 much more distinct than in the adult, and exhibiting a close resemblance to A. hens- 

 lowii. Feathers of upper parts with less brownish rufous but more ashy edgings. 

 Length about 5 inches ; extent about 8 inches. 



Hab. Eastern United States and southern Canada to the plains, south to Florida, 

 Cuba, Porto Rico and coast of Central America. 



This bird is irregularly distributed. In the southern and south- 

 eastern portions of our State it is quite common from about May 1 to 

 the middle of September. In Crawford and Erie counties, or in the 

 extreme north-western part of this Commonwealth Mr. Geo. B. Sen- 

 nett has found it to be a rare summer sojourner. It is reported to be 

 a somewhat common summer resident in central Pennsylvania. The 



